Echoes (Of a Current Life)
by everydaytimelord
Summary: What is Jack to do when North tells him he is not the Spirit of Winter, but a mere human from a small town? Why wouldn't the world believe him! And who knew Sandy was such a good psychologist? As it goes, he was on his own again.
1. Silence is Golden

"I mean, I like him and all, Dr. Mansnoozie, but… you know, I just need my space after…" Jack shifted uncomfortably on the lounge seat, feeling exposed and vulnerable to the only other person in the room. "I'm sorry, I just wish you would make some kind of input. I just don't like talking about this kind of stuff."

Dr. Mansnoozie nodded, then produced his notepad for Jack. He scribbled a few sentences then handed it over. Jack grabbed it then sat up slowly.

'You understand that I am mute Jack. This should make me the best psychologist ever. I apologize for making you do this, but the best way to get over a problem is to talk about them. If you wish to continue, then I will listen.'

Jack sighed and sat back, not wanting to lie down again. "I just… North is nice and all, but after the accident, I mean, I just don't know who he is anymore. You guys keep saying that I did… well, not you, you never say anything really, but North does. He keeps saying that I'll remember one day, that this… this world in my head isn't real and I should come back, but I can't. I've tried. I have been trying for months and all I know is being Jack Frost, the winter spirit, not Jack Frost, the high school junior. I don't remember my parents, moving in with North, going to school. Geez, I don't even know what my favorite cookie is because in my mind, I hadn't needed to eat for the past 300 years or so." Jack leaned forward and let out his breath slowly, trying to calm down, his emotions beginning to bubble in his chest. He let his face fall into his hands.

" I'm sorry Sandy. I just don't think today is going to work out. And I know, this happens every time, but, just try handling someone tell you that everything you've ever known is not real, on top of being invisible, in my head and in real life. Nothing is really working out. I think we should end early today. I'm not feeling up to it again."

Sandy shook his head and smiled. This was the same routine as every week. Sanderson had made it his personal goal to have Jack stay his full session, but so far to no avail. Maybe one of these days.

Jack closed the door gently behind him and pulled his hood over his head, trying to hide the slight flush he knew his face was displaying, the unconscious side effects of being flustered. He rarely ever left Dr. Mansnoozie's office without being in some form of a negative emotion.

North looked up from the magazine he was reading and frowned at Jack's arrival.

"Not go so well?"

"What do you think?" Jack snapped, then shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "I'm sorry North, just tired, I guess. Can we go home?"

North watched the young boy in front of him for minute, assessing the situation, then smiled and patted the boy on the back. "We will have sandwiches and hot cocoa tonight. Plenty of snowman marshmallows. Perhaps I will even make cookies. Try new flavor again. Have to find the one you like most." North heard a chuckle from the boy and smiled. All is not lost.


	2. Paper Snowflakes

Jack lay on his bed, staring at the snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. Apparently he had made these when he was a child and never took them down. He blew hair out of his face and watched as the snowflakes spun slightly with the movement of air. If only he could remember making them. Jack held out his hands in front of them and inspected them. Just a few months ago, from what he can remember, he was able to create wonderful creations just from a flick of his wrist. Now all he can do is write essays, not too well, either. He glanced over at the calendar hanging on his wall. It was the middle of October, the time when Jack Frost would start spreading his creations across the northern hemisphere. But not this year. This year the world may be without Jack Frost because he doesn't have his powers. He can't do anything except go to school and do homework.

Jack closed his eyes, feeling suddenly exhausted from the events of the day. It was a Wednesday, the day to go see the shrink, and that meant school was tomorrow morning. Jack wanted nothing more than to stay home, or what everyone kept telling him was his home. Just to stay in his bed forever and never move again. His sole purpose in life was to bring joy to children, but now what? What was his life? Why was he here and why can't he remember? And why does North keep saying he was his nephew? He is the freaking spirit of winter! What was he doing here?! Just sitting around when he could be outside, flying through the air, the wind blowing around his ears, feeling like he weighed nothing at all.

Jack snapped his eyes open after what seemed like a few seconds, but, after inspecting his alarm clock, were actually a few hours. It was 2 am, the time when Jack was supposed to be in bed, sleeping, then getting up at 6:30 am to be at school. But, Jack was not feeling up to the usual ritual tonight. How about a little fun, to lighten the spirits instead?

Jack ran over to the window and gently pushed it up, then popped the screen out. A simple maneuver at this point, after the dozens of times he had done it before. Just something about being cooped up in a house that set Jack on edge. But the crisp night air, as it nipped his cheeks, made him feel free again, almost like the winter spirit he could swear he was, if it were not so blatantly obvious that he was a human now. He jumped the few feet to the ground and ran to the forest behind the house, his footfalls silent from his graceful movement and bare feet. He ran into the trees, never looking back at the house, and laughed mischievously when he made it to the pond in the middle of the woods, a good few hundred feet back.

Jack made his way to the edge of the pond after making sure he was alone and peered in, hoping to see his reflection, but was disappointed when he could see none from the lack of light. It was always so peaceful back here. Jack came here when he felt like being truly alone, and that was often. But tonight, Jack realized with a flinch of horror, he was not alone.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" A voice came from a foot behind him. Jack jumped and spun around to be face to face with a young woman, an inch or so taller than him. She was not threatening, but her sheer presence shocked Jack enough to through him off balance and right into the pond.

As soon as Jack hit the black water he panicked. He had never been a swimmer, and for good reason, seeing as in his life as a seasonal spirit, drowning was his choice of death. Jack flailed around for a few seconds, trying to find a form of support in the murky shallows of the pond, but only helped to cover him even further in the mud and grime. After a minute of struggling, a hand reached out and grabbed him by the hood of his jacket, pulling him out of the depths.

"Hey, whoa, it's alright. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright?" But her question was left unanswered as Jack ran from the scene, not entirely sure where he was headed, but anywhere away from that situation. After a few minutes, Jack had to stop to catch his breath. He was caked in mud and sopping wet and freezing. After his heart rate slowed a little he began to shiver. That was another thing he hated about being human; he could actually feel the cold, and it was not pleasant. But, who was that lady? Jack shrugged and sat down in front of a tree, feeling exhausted once again. He leaned back and went over what the woman had on. He may need this information later, in case she a murderer or something. Well, if he was sure she was a murderer, he probably shouldn't be leaning against this tree, but should be heading home, whichever direction that was in. But, the lady was wearing, what, knee high boots and jeans and had brown… black hair? Maybe. But she was wearing a jacket? Purple or-

Jack swatted at something that was tickling his cheek and rolled over, only to find no support and fell unceremoniously to the ground. He pushed himself back up, his joints protesting the effort and his clothing moving stiffly. He glanced around and saw that he was in the middle of the woods. The sun gleamed down at an acute angle and made the leaves it touched a brighter shade of-

Wait. Sun. Leaves. Oh crap.

Jack pushed himself from the ground, his chest aching with the effort and the air in front of him showing his breath. Once off of the ground and with a sense of direction, he began to make his way back to his house, while trying to piece together what had happened last night. Let's see… house, homework, pond, girl, running. That woman. Jack felt suddenly relieved that the woman was not a serial killer, because he just passed out in the middle of the woods in the open. A bear could have eaten him! No, wait, not around here. Not the very dangerous kind, anyhow.

Jack let go an aching sigh of relief when he saw his window still open and climbed through with a bit of effort. His bed became the only destination in mind as soon as the window was closed, but, as luck may have it, his alarm clock went off a second before his mud encrusted head hit the pillow.

With a groan and some reserves of willpower, Jack pushed himself from the bed, turned his alarm off, and made his way over to the bathroom to clean up. Today was going to be a terrible day.


	3. How Would You Spell School?

Jack made his way down the halls of his school, trying not to be noticed by any of the other students. Jack refused to make friends with the children his age, mainly because of their lack of creativity, and because of the few people who decided to go out of their way to make Jack's high school life more difficult than it needed to be. Speaking of the devil, as Jack opened his locker, a boy, at least a foot taller than Jack, slammed his locker shut and smiled. Jack sighed, knowing that smile was not meant to be a sign of peace.

"Jordan, please, I'm not feeling up to your shenanigans today. Can we just do this another day?"

"And miss out on all the fun I could have with you now? I don't think so." Jordan watched as Jack put the combination into the lock and opened his locker again, only to have it slammed closed again, this time catching one of his fingers in the door.

" Dammit Jordan! Why can't you just leave me alone, huh?! All I want to do is-"

"Is what, go hide in a corner, pull up your hood and hide from the world? Is that it? Everyone hates you, you know. You're the loser of the school. No one wants to be your friend. We all know you have mental problems. Thinking you're, what, some kind of mythical creature? You need to grow up, Frost." A shove emphasized his sentence and pushed Jack against the lockers.

"Jordan, I know that your father hates you and you have serious girl problems, but that does not entitle you to-" A swift punch to the eye stopped Jack's insult in its tracks.

"You are some kind of sick. Well, fuck you too." Jordan stormed off, leaving Jack leaning precariously against the lockers, his eye beginning to swell. This was a regular occurrence, and Jack always tried his best to insult the other just as much as he did to Jack. He would never take a fight sitting down, but also knew that words hurt more than any physical attack at times, and Jack just hit his soft spot. He had been working up the courage to say that for ages, ever since he had joined this horrible institution. North made him go to school, and he hated every second of it. He had to learn about math. He spoke several languages, had observed several major figures of history, and had travelled the world but still here he was, in the concrete prison to learn, what, that one plus one is five or whatever?

Jack reopened his locker after calming down a bit and grabbed his books for homework that night. He did not have any extracurricular activities, North's advice going on deaf ears. After the accident…

Jack shook his head and pulled up his hood, then went out the door to the front of the school. He kept his head down as he made his way over to the red truck waiting for him in the parking lot. North always picked him up from school after the first fight within the first month of Jack being there. He was now known as a trouble maker, but Jack just saw all of it as self-defense.

Jack opened the passenger door, never looking at his so called uncle, and climbed into the truck.

"Good day at school?" North asked in hopes of a positive answer today. No response came and he put the truck into drive, knowing he was not going to get one the whole drive home.

After a few minutes, North glanced over at Jack. He had not moved his eyes away from the window and any movement he made was stiff. "You were in another fight today, were you?" Jack became ridged and his head fell a few inches, now leaning tiredly on the window. "Jack, let me see." North put his hand to the back of Jack's hood and pulled it down to reveal what he was hiding. North looked back at the road then back to Jack and frowned. "Who was it this time?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does. You do not deserve to be bullied, and you need to tell me-"

"So you can make me even more hated at that school? North, you know how much I hate i-" Jack paused for a second to sneeze twice, then wiped his nose and continued, "North, please don't make me go back again. I can take online school. I can learn how to use the internet."

"Jack, we already went over this. You need-"

"Social interaction, yes, I know. I need to fit in with the other kids. But, you see what they do to me. You know this isn't the first black eye I've gotten from those damned hypocrites. I just… I hate it there. I'm miserable, I don't remember ever taking these classes before. This stupid amnesia is causing too many prob-obl-" Another sneeze erupted from Jack, causing his chest to ache hollowly. He leaned forward and hid his head in his knees. After a minute, a cold hand touched the back of his neck and began rubbing gentle circles.

"Jack, I think you're coming down with something. How about I make tea with honey and you go lie down, yes?" Jack nodded his confirmation of the request and relaxed a little against North's touch. It seemed the man always knew what to do with the boy, no matter the situation. Well, in Jack's mind he was Santa Claus, so Jack expected him to be good with kids.

Once they reached home, Jack sluggishly fell from the truck and made his way through the front door and onto the couch in the family room. His eyes fell shut and only opened again when North draped a blanket over him and put a cup of tea on the coffee table.

"I will make dinner. If you are feeling alright, then you should join me. Aster will be over tonight. Please try to be nice today. He is a family friend, and really does care about you." Jack didn't give any acknowledgement, but his breathing was enough evidence that he had heard. "Now get some rest. Homework later." North then exited the room to get started in the kitchen.


	4. Not a Rabbit

Author's notes:

Hey everyone! I am glad for the positive feedback I've had so far with the story! And I am glad you really like the story, AmaraRae. I hope not to disappoint. I will be posting a new chapter every, or every other, day, depending on weekday or weekend. When it starts to get to the end, however, I will probably split the story, or have an alternate ending. My original ending is, well, you'll see. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sadly, none of us own ROTG.

"…the little bugger. I don't like ta see him in this state any more than you."

"Is just a simple cold. He will get over it."

"No, not that, his memories. He doesn't remember anything. Does it really have to be like this?"

"Is the best we let him adjust. It has only been a few months. We need to be patient."

"It's just sad to see him in such a sorry state. Used to be all prankster and fun, but now…"

"He will get better. Sandy is doing his best on that end and we need to support him in any way we can. Until then, how about you hand over those carrots you brought and I'll add to soup, yes?"

"I also brought some chocolate eggs from the shop today. Haven't made 'em in years, but still good as ever."

"We will save for dessert. Now will you go wake Jack, dinner will be done soon."

Jack turned over on the couch and groaned. He was not ready to get up yet. He might even feel worse than before he fell asleep. He stiffened as he heard Aster's footfalls get closer and tried not to flinch when he felt his hand gently shake his shoulder.

"Oi, Jack, time to wake up and smell the carrots, mate. A little food should lighten the mood." Jack groaned and rolled over, not wanting to face the world yet, but not having much choice as Aster shook his shoulder again. Jack opened his eyes, but was blinded by light and for a split second, thought he saw-

"Bunny?" Aster flinched at the name, and Jack opened his eyes wider, trying to focus on the man in front of him. After a moment, Jack realized his mistake and his hopes dropped. Aster would indeed have been the human form of Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny, but Jack would never have let him know that.

"Look, mate, I'm not a rabbit. A kangaroo would have been a better description, ya know, being from Australia and all. But North wants us in the kitchen. Dinner's done." Aster stood up and took the untouched cup of cold tea with him. Jack sat up, slowly at first, his muscles tight and his body aching, then leaned forward on his knees. He felt like crap, but that's what you get for sleeping in the middle of the woods in the middle of October. He wiped the sweat from under his bangs and pushed himself from the couch and into the kitchen, where North and Aster were waiting patiently for him at the dining room table in the connecting room.

"Your face looks worse in better lighting. How'd you get that black eye? Fighting again?"

"Is it any of your business?" Jack threw back, taking his seat opposite North.

"How about some soup, Jack? Make you feel better." North offered, trying to stall a fight. The two never got along, for whatever reason, and butt heads whenever in the same room. But they both cared for one another and North would rather he fight a caring family friend than a child at school.

"Thanks North, but I'm not feeling too up to eating. I'll just warm up my tea."

"Nonsense. How about broth? Something nutritious. It will help you feel better. I will pour more tea as well. Aster?" Aster shook his head and North left the table to warm up some more tea. Aster poured Jack a bowl of soup and handed it over.

"You know, Aster, I think you would look better with rabbit ears."

Aster sighed. "Are we going to do this again, kid? I am not the bloody Easter Bunny in human form, alright? I don't know where you come up with these ideas. Kids these days. You never used to be like this before the accident."

"Well I'm sorry for getting amnesia and not remembering your stupid face. Although it's probably a relief on my end. Having to have known you my whole life like this would have driven me insane. Why don't you go suck on some eggs."

"Why you-"

"Tea is done. Here is honey and will you two stop fighting?" North interrupted before the conversation could escalate further. Jack grumbled something under his breath and blew on his soup. He hated it being so hot, a natural instinct he is sure comes from his being the spirit of winter, but no one else would understand if he tried to explain. The first time after the accident when they made him have hot soup nearly brought him to his knees, but over the course of time he had learned that it didn't hurt him like it had when he was a sprite, just was a bit uncomfortable when steaming.

"How was the shop today, Aster?" North asked after a moment's silence.

"Same old. You know. It's that time of year when it slows down, so nothing new. But I will be creating more of those eggs I brought in today. Thought of bringing it back. It has been a few years. Used to be a chocolate extraordinaire, but taking the hard candy route is cheaper and easier to manage. How about the ankle biter. How went school?"

"Do we really have to?" Aster and North nodded and Jack sighed, pushing his bowl of untouched soup to the side. "You know, boring classes, ignorant teachers, and the same old great friends pushing me around. Doing just dandy in that division." Jack hid his head in his arms on the table. The room stayed silent other than Jack's heavy breathing. The air felt like it had condensed in the past few minutes and the room was beginning to suffocate him.

"I'm sorry. I'll just leave." Jack mumbled into the table and stood up shakily. His legs felt like rubber and his chest constricted. He grabbed onto the table in front of him and coughed a few times. His sudden movement caused the other two to stir and North was behind him in an instant.

"How about bed, hmm? Soup can wait." North gently steered Jack away from the table and towards his bedroom. Once North settled Jack on the bed, he left the room and came back with a few instruments and a bowl. Jack flinched when a cold hand touched his forehead and then something was stuck in his mouth. After a few seconds a beep interrupted the silence of the room. The hand moved from his forehead to take out the thermometer. Jack opened his eyes grudgingly and saw North shake his head.

"I think you will stay home from school tomorrow, yes? Just get some sleep. I will come in to change water later." North then laid a cool cloth on Jack's forehead and neck and left the room.


	5. Silver Tears

A soft knock on the window woke Jack from his dreamless slumber. He groggily looked over at where the noise had come from, not even sure if he had heard it, his mind still half asleep, and jumped when he saw movement outside the window. He pushed himself from the bed and tiptoed to the window. He shivered when he pushed it open, the cool night air stirring his sweaty bangs. He pushed the screen out and stuck his head through, but saw nothing outside. Was it just part of his dream? Well, only one way to find out.

Jack jumped out of the window and fell the few feet to the ground. He got up slowly, not wanting to startle anything that might be in the darkness around him, and began searching the shadows for movement. When he saw none, he moved forward a few feet, his movement causing leaves to stir. The wind picked up and a single cricket chirped from somewhere in the woods. Nothing yet, but Jack was not about to give up. He made his way over to the tree line and plunged into the shade of the forest. A darker shadow caught Jack's eye as he made his way around a tree and he turned abruptly to catch whatever it was off guard. He was met at eye level with a woman, the same one as before, standing twenty feet off. Jack turned around to run, realizing just how far he had gone into the woods, until he noticed the tear stains on the others cheeks glimmering in the pale moonlight streaming through the canopy of trees.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked hesitantly, then stepped forward, only to be met with a single step back by the other.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I-I shouldn't be here." The woman stammered then ran into the engulfing blackness behind her. Jack gave pursuit, but soon had to give up when his lungs could no longer take in air properly. He coughed for a few minutes, trying to catch his breath, and sat on the ground. Who was that woman and how did she know his name? Maybe she was a serial killer, only playing with Jack, luring him into her cave of death to then slaughter him and sell his organs. But why was she crying then? Guilt? Jack's mind raced as his breathing evened out and he decided it was time to head back home. He needed to find out who this lady was, and how she knew him. He didn't believe her to be of any harm, but he could never be sure. He'll come back out tomorrow and try talking to her. Maybe if he approached first she won't be scared away, or he won't scare himself, for that matter. Jack pushed himself from the ground and made his way back to the house, to the warm bed waiting for him back in his room and the comforting thoughts of not having to go to school the next day.


	6. Metaphor Falls

Jack groaned softly as the sun streamed through the window and onto his face. He opened his eyes and looked over at his alarm, and saw that it was 8 am. He was hoping to sleep in today, but apparently his brain had other plans. Jack sat up on the bed, coughed up some mucus, and shuffled his way out of his bedroom. He made it to the family room before he fell on the couch face first. His lack of motivation to move kept him in that position of half on the couch, half on the floor until North walked into the room.

"Good to see you among the living," North chuckled deeply before making his way over to Jack and gently shook his shoulder. "I think you should try landing on the couch next time." North mused, then patted Jack on the back and went into the kitchen. Jack refused to move from his somewhat uncomfortable spot. His mind began to wander as he thought himself a waterfall; the couch was a plateau and the carpet was a field below. He was the water of course, pure and blue and freezing cold. He wished he had a blanket at that moment and longed for the warmth of his bed, but lacked the strength and motivation to move. If only he could talk to the wind, he could just ask it to fly him over to the bed, but, as it may be, all of the windows were closed. Just to think, the spirit of winter, brought down by a simple cold; the irony was overwhelming. Jack chuckled at the thought, but the extra effort put on his lungs caused him to start coughing again. He was doing an awful lot of that for a cold. Being present mostly in winter Jack was pretty good at spotting his season's normal cold and flu symptoms.

"Jack, how about we move you onto the couch?" Jack mumbled something softly in reply and North set down his cup of cocoa and helped Jack onto the couch. The boy was burning up, but not enough to give him reason to take him to a medical facility. A bit of rest should do the trick, and with today being a Friday, Jack would have all weekend to recover. His teachers were forgiving enough when North had called a few minutes ago and Jack would not need to worry about that. One less stressor on the boy is a miracle all on its own.

"North, what will happen to Christmas?" North flinched at the question, not expecting it out of the half conscious boy on the couch.

"How do you mean? We will celebrate like we do every year." North laughed, trying to sound casual about it.

"No, you are Santa and stuff. Don't you have to check the lists… or something?" Jack mumbled dazedly into his blankets. North leaned down in front of the boy and frowned. He hadn't heard Jack talk like this since that week after the accident. Trying to convince Jack that he was a human and North was not Santa Claus, and Aster was not the Easter Bunny was hard enough. When he met Sanderson, it became worse.

"Jack, remember that conversation we had a few months back when-"

"No, North, I know it's true. You are Santa, and Dr. Mansnoozie is the Sandman. That's why I always lie… lie down and…." Jack's rambling trailed off as sleep consumed his mind. North shook his head and stared at the boy. This might become a problem if he keeps it up.


	7. Where Does Truth Reside?

"Jack! Jack, please, you have to help us! You have to! You're the only one who can stop this!"

"But, I don't know how. I don't understand how this has happened. It-it's not…" Jack searched through the thick white for the voice that sounded so close, yet felt so far away, like an echo. He tripped over something, and fell onto the soft ground. As he turned to see what it was that had caused his fall, a hand began pulling on his hoodie.

"You did this! This is all your fault! You are a murderer! A spineless, whimpering, cowardly creature! You can't control yourself and now look at what has happened. You have destroyed everything!" And the voice was correct. Jack could see nothing but white all around, and when he looked back at what he had tripped on, he could only see a hand, frozen and grey. This was his fault. He had killed them. His fault. He did not deserve to live. He has caused so much trouble. He needed to leave. Needed to leave this world. Stop the suffering. But he couldn't stop crying. His tears froze on his cheeks as he began to scream, at anyone, anything that was listening. It was over. It was all over…

"Jack…"

"Jack, wake up!"

"Mate, snap out of it!"

Jack snapped his eyes open and found he was face to face with Aster, North standing directly behind him.

"Glad you finally stopped all that yelling." Aster sneered, then backed off as North stepped forward and wiped off the tears Jack just noticed were on his cheeks.

"It was just a nightmare, Jack." North soothed as Jack's heart rate finally began to deescalate. North made a small motion with his hand and Aster put a cloth in it. That cloth was then placed on Jack's forehead.

"When did…" Jack choked out, his dry throat causing him to cough a little.

"About an hour ago. You've been out for a few hours, from what I've heard. Little after noon, if you're wonderin'." Aster announced behind North, then took a seat in the loveseat.

"Want to tell me what the nightmare was about?" North mused, hoping for a positive reaction. Jack's eyes simply wandered to the cup of water sitting on the table, and North understood, giving it to him. Jack sat up slowly and, after his thirst was somewhat quenched, glared at Aster.

"Only if the kangaroo leaves the room. I don't want him to have something to blackmail me with later." Aster shrugged at the comment and left the room. Once Jack was sure he was gone, he turned to North, tears brimming his eyes.

"It…" Jack took a deep breath, recalling his all too vivid dream, "I killed… I mean, I felt so out of control. I don't remember what it was about, but… I saw," Jack choked up a bit and swallowed before continuing, "I saw… you and Aster and Sandy and Tooth all… all dead." Jack closed his eyes, ashamed of himself. North just stared at the boy. Jack had mentioned Tooth a few months ago, when he went on about Santa and the Easter Bunny. North had hoped that he had forgotten about that and had moved on, but it was all too apparent that Jack had not moved on, just simply stopped talking about it.

"My boy, you know this is not real. It was all a dream. Nothing more. You just need more sleep. It's just your body's negative effect of a lack of rest." North tried reasoning, but the silent tears now streaming down Jack's cheeks told North that he was not reaching the boy. North had hoped that this would not happen, and Sandy had warned him that his mind was unstable, but North was still hoping for the best, that Jack would simply move on, let go of these memories and try to accept his life as it is. North was at a loss for words and options. He was not going to give up, no, just try something new. Perhaps Sanderson could help.


	8. Into the Depths

Author's Note: It's going a bit downhill from here for our poor protagonist. I was asked to do fluffy for a chapter or so, and seeing as it's been nothing but serious and dark, and think that's a great idea. I can't tell when, but expect it in the future, before the main story escalates too far to go back. Also, if anyone sees where I am heading, please help me think of a better ending than what I have. There will be a chapter further ahead that will be a fork in the road, and I will leave it up to you what to do with it. I can't say everyone will be happy, but you do not want to know what I originally thought the ending should be, so have at it!

Jack slept most of the day after his outburst and was feeling, more or less, ready for his adventure that night. The sun had gone down a few hours ago, but it was still before Jack's usual bedtime. Jack had not attended dinner, more for the fact that he did not want to face his peers and less that he was feeling nauseous, although it was true. Jack sat in his room, staring intently at his open window. He left it open so he would be able to escape easily through when the time came. He wasn't entirely sure what he was waiting for, however. The past two times he had seen the woman was by sheer chance, a shadow out of the corner of his eye or a full on attack. It was unlikely that she would just appear in his backyard again. He's not even entirely sure that she was the one who made the movement outside of his window yesterday. That could have been a bird or something. But Jack had to stay positive and vigilant. If he just-

There. Right there. He had just seen it. Jack jumped from his bed and raced over to the window, tripping over his sheets on the way over and clinging to the window sill for support. He stared out into the consuming blackness of the night, the moon's shine gone today because of cloud cover. Jack stared up at the sky after a minute of the still darkness from the woods. The moon. Mannie. The man that gave him a second life and refused to explain why. If only he could see the moon now he would shake his fist or something else just as explicit to show his utter appreciation for abandonment. Even now the moon left him alone, to be by himself, to not explain why he was here, what the purpose was. Why was he a human? Did he do something wrong? Did it have something to do with his dreams? Jack shivered at the thought of his most recent nightmare. It seemed like a reality to him; it might have happened or will happen, and Jack had no idea how to fix it. He didn't even have his staff. His heart dropped as he thought about the past few months without it. North swore that he had never seen such a thing on Jack's persona, but Jack refused to believe him. North tried to dissuade all of Jack's arguments, saying it was all in his mind, that the world he was talking about was not real, but Jack knew. North and Bunny and Sandy would do anything to keep him safe, and if that meant turning him into a human, then so be it. But they did not have to blatantly lie to his face about it. He could handle whatever damage he had done or will do. He wasn't five anymore. He was over 300 years old, and they k-

Again, a shadow, a slight shrug from a branch, or a shift of movement from a leaf. Jack's senses were tingling at the nervous tension building up in his body. There was something out there, and Jack was going to find out what.

After another few minutes of waiting, Jack finally could not stand it any longer and climbed out of the window with only his hoodie and a pair of sweats he had been wearing since last night. He did not see the point in changing if he was not going to leave the house.

Jack paced himself as he made his way through the dense woods, measuring each step, carefully, silently. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right. A ninja. Jack had observed the way of the ninja when they were still around. Silent killers, smooth as shadows gliding along a wall or over water. For a while there, Jack even tried replicating their movements, when he was younger, but his over-eagerness kept him failing. He was more of a gymnast type anyhow.

Jack made it a hundred feet or so into the woods, and began to see the first signs of the pond lying ahead. That was the first place he had seen her, so why would she not be here again. As he neared the pond, he hid himself behind a tree and gave the area a thorough observation. He took in every detail he could in the darkness and scanned over the underside of the trees, just in case she had climbed up there to ambush him or something. When Jack saw nothing, he took a step away from the tree and out into the open. As he neared the pond, a focused on a log or something out in the middle. Jack had never seen that there before, and was curious how it had gotten there. Maybe it had fallen recently and he was too hyped up about other events that he never noticed or perhaps-

Jack's eyes focused in on the log again, and saw movement. No. No, it couldn't be. Jack stepped into the muddy beginnings of the pond, needing to get a closer look. After a minute, the log moved again. An arm. He saw an arm! And a head! This was a person! Jack splashed his way into the shallow depths of the pond, ignoring the nagging feeling of his fear of unfrozen bodies of water. He sluggishly trudged his way through the shallows, his feet being sucked on by mud and moss lying at the bottom. Jack ignored the shiver that went up his spine as he became waist deep within another few feet and continued on. The figure in front of him began moving more as Jack made his way closer. It was struggling. It was probably the woman. It had to be the woman. She was the only other person he had ever seen out in these woods. Jack continued his trek, the water rising steadily up to his neck and chin. He was close now. He could see her. She was stuck on something. She might be in danger! Jack hurried toward her, his fear changing to concern for the other party in the water.

"Hey! Lady! Are you in trouble? I'm here to help! Just stay there!"

The figure moved to face the voice, and Jack smiled, his waiting paying off. He had come at just the right time. She could have drowned without him here to save her.

"What are you stuck on? Is your foot stuck on a branch or in the mud?"

"Jack, turn back, now! You do not know what you are getting into! You do not want to come any closer!" The voice whispered fiercely. Jack was only persuaded to go quicker. She did not want Jack to get hurt, but he was fine. It was she who was in trouble.

"Hold on! I'll be there in a minute! I'll see what I can do!"

"Jack, turn back! Before it's too late! Please! You do not want to see what is here!" The voice whispered back. She must be tired, Jack reasoned. Her voice sounded so weak, nearly carried off in the wind.

Jack finally reached the prone figure in the water. It was the woman. Her head was barely above the water and Jack himself was struggling to stay above water level. His panic was rising, but he aptly ignored it to focus on saving the woman before him. His toes, which kept his mouth above water level, kept slipping on the grime and mud at the bottom as he came within a foot of the woman. Her face read anger and guilt, Jack could at least tell that much. She was not struggling, but was simply staying just above the water. A horrible realization hit Jack as he reached out to grab her arm. She is probably trying to kill herself. Why else would she be out here in the middle of the pond without struggling to stay afloat. Jack was glad he was here, to prevent a horrible death.

Jack felt around with his foot for the woman's foot, and found a tangle of something at the bottom. Maybe a net or something. People did go fishing in here sometimes.

"No, Jack. You have to understand. You have to remember."

"I understand just fine lady. If you wanted to off yourself, you should do it more stylishly. I'm here now, so there will be none of that today, though." Jack grunted as he pulled on the netting with his foot. The woman simply watched Jack, her eyes scanning him, and Jack shivered. He felt like she was peering into his soul. She was creepy, to say the least, but she had never caused Jack any harm, and Jack trusted her to some degree.

"Just one… more… pull!" Jack pulled on the netting again with his foot, and yelled in triumph as he felt it come loose. He looked up at the woman, but was only met with a frown and a silent shake of the head. She seemed disappointed. Jack became confused, but that feeling left quickly as he felt his own feet becoming entangled in that same netting.

"Crap… no!" Jack yelped as he lost his footing and fell under the murky depths. The water was freezing, Jack now realized as his face began to tingle from the cold. He could not feel the rest of his body very well, for it had been going numb for a while now. Jack pushed on the bottom of the pond when he was able to feel it and broke the surface just as he saw the woman make it to the other side of the pond. His head went below the water again before he could make out anything else.

Panic set in at that moment, the realization that he was drowning dawning on him. He made a silent scream under water, the beginnings of hyperventilation setting in as his worst fear consumed him. He was going to die. His final demise was going to be the same one that gave him his second life. Oh, the irony. But Jack's sense of humor was naught in the confusion and horror of his current predicament. His back rubbed against the bottom of the pond as he struggled to break loose of the bondages around his feet, but his luck was running out just as the air in his lungs had a few seconds ago. This is it. I'm dead. I'm gone. This is the end.

Something grabbed him. He was moving through the water, not of his own volition. The inky black around him became overwhelming just as he felt the cool of the air on his cheek.


	9. A Life Well Saved

"…ke up…"

"…ight now…ing to be fine…"

"…eathe for me… on…"

A violent coughing roused Jack from his peaceful oblivion as the world around him came into dull focus. His senses felt numb. He could not feel anything, but could hear a soft sigh next to him. Was it the woman? Was he dead? Did she kill him, or save him? He coughed a few more times and began to shiver uncontrollably. His chest ached and his lungs felt clogged. He could not get in enough air. His breathing quickened as his last moments of previous consciousness came back to him. He must be dead. He was drowning. All around him was blackness. This must be the afterlife then.

"…en your eyes for me…"

That voice. Jack tried to focus on it, but his ears felt just as plugged up as his lungs. Everything was muffled, like he was buried under snow.

"…slowly…calm down… fine…"

Jack could not make out what the voice was saying. Something cold touched the curve right under his jaw. He tried to move away, but found that his limbs were dead weight. That cold thing moved to his chest, but the coldness abated a bit, just simply pressure. The pressure came rhythmically, and Jack tried to keep count as it went on for a minute, but his brain could not keep up. After a few more of the pushes, he felt something uncomfortable rising in his chest. He gagged and felt sick as the water in his lungs forced its way through his esophagus. Something rolled him over as he let everything in his stomach empty. His breathing came a little quicker now, his chest aching for the air it had lacked previously.

"…better… back home…"

Jack could still not clearly make out anything around him as he was lifted from the ground by something warm and soft. Perhaps he was dead, but Jack was okay with this as he let unconsciousness consume his mind once more.

* * *

"…just needs some time to rest…"

"…bloody nearly drowned! A hospital would be…"

"…waking up. Jack? Can you hear me?"

A soft groan escaped Jack's throat as he rolled his head towards the voices.

"Nor..." Jack coughed, then whimpered as his chest ached painfully. "North…" he tried again, and was pleased that he was able to get that one word out.

"I'm right here. I'm right here, Jack. Everything is fine."

"Well, no need to bloody lie to his face." Jack cringed at the second voice. It belonged to Aster and it sounded angry. "Everything bloody well is not fine! As I said before, we need to get him to a hospital. He was sick before, and I'm sure drowning didn't help." Yep, he was angry. Jack opened his eyes and flinched as the light scorched his retinas. He pulled his head away from the cool hand that had placed itself in his hair. It felt good, but he felt like he was suffocating from his own heat. He opened his eyes again, more hesitantly, and was able to focus on the worried face of North.

"Aster, please. Jack does not approve of hospitals. We need to make him comfortable. Is nothing we can't handle."

"And you've dealt with near death experiences often?"

"Aren't you the one who goes on about wrestling alligators and surviving the harsh climate of the desert?"

"I will admit, this is above me, North. My own safety is easy compared to that of others." Aster calmed as he observed the situation clearly for the first time since they had found Jack. Only a few hours ago, North went to give Jack some broth and found him gone and the window open. The only likely place he would be was the pond, the only place he ever was this late at night. Bunny shivered as he remembered how close they were to losing Jack. He arrived just as Jack slipped under the water. North jumped in first, but Aster was not far behind. They had nearly lost him. Aster stopped his thoughts where they were, refusing to go on.

"Jack, why were you out there, in the water?" North asked the boy gently.

"…a woman…" Aster scoffed at this, but was glared into silence again by North.

"What woman, Jack?"

"…was drowning. I saved her."

"Jack, there was no woman in the pond. Only you."

"She escaped. I sa-" Jack coughed a few times, his throat still rough and dry, and North helped him drink some water. It felt ice cold against his burning lips. "I saved her, North. Her foot was stuck on some netting. She left."

North stared at Jack, this teenager that he was responsible for, and tried to make sense of what he was saying.

"Was she the one who brought you into the water?" North asked, trying to get the whole picture. Only pieces were coming out and so far, none of them made any sense.

"She was there before… in the woods. She is afraid. I think she was trying to kill herself." At this North became concerned.

"But you said she escaped?" Jack nodded. North turned to Aster and nodded. Aster returned it with a grim frown and left the room.

"It will be alright Jack. Just relax. I will make tea. Help you feel better, yes?" Jack nodded and North left the room.

* * *

Over the next few hours North helped Jack get clean, wiping away the grime that had dried on his face, and got him into a fresh change of clothing. He slept fitfully after that, his fever steadily rising and falling. North paced in the family room, waiting for news from Aster. He had been out there for a while now, and North was becoming concerned that he might have gotten lost or fell in the pond himself. Just as North began to put his jacket on to head outside in search, Aster walked through the door, the same grim frown from earlier etched on his face.

"North-"

"What did you find?"

"If you would let me tell ya!" Aster snapped, then leaned against the door he had entered from. "North, I saw nothin' out there. Only Jack's footsteps leading into the pond. Nothing all around. I checked a two mile radius, or something thereof, and nothing. North, this is a problem. Jack-"

"Perhaps she covered her tracks?"

"North, I am an expert tracker, and you know that. Nothing gets past me. If there is something to hunt, I will find it. But I saw nothin'." Aster sighed and began to rub his temples. "Do you think the boy is losing it? He already has a loose grasp on reality, but now…"

"It's his fever. Is confusing him. He is seeing what is not there."

"And that's what I am concerned about, North. What if he reverts back to-"

"No. We will not allow that to happen. He is fine, you will see."

"I sure hope so, North."


	10. What Isn't There

"…Jack! Jack, can you hear me! Please, you have to stop this! Look at what you have done!"

The surrounding white made Jack flinch. It was sudden, unexpected. He turned a full circle, trying to focus on the voice, but could not choose a direction.

"You are hurting them, Jack! Please, stop this now before it is too late!"

That voice. He knew that voice. It was…

Jack was pulled from his dream by a sudden shift in the room. His mind felt it before it fully registered and confused Jack. Someone, or something, was here. Jack searched the shadows of his room, expecting the worst, but hoping it not to be true. The boogeyman. Pitch had found him. He was here. He could feel his presence.

"I-I know you're there," Jack whispered into the darkness around him, "Th-there is... I am armed. I will freeze you if you come any closer!" Jack's breathing quickened as his thoughts became frantic. He was hoping to not have to encounter Pitch Black ever again. He remembered him all too clearly; the monster who tried to give him nightmares and kill him time and time again. But, not this time. Jack would make sure of it.

"Come out Pitch. There is nowhere to hide!" Jack's voice became a little louder as he reached for a book that he had thrown on the floor yesterday. A soft, nearly inaudible chuckle echoed throughout the room, along with what sounded like a high pitched scream, also nearly silent. Jack flinched and shivered as he stared into a corner of his room. After a minute of complete silence, Jack stood up straight and walked over to the corner, not wanting to show any more fear for whatever was over there. As he approached the dark corner and saw nothing creeping there, something fell behind him. Jack turned around and threw the book. It hit the wall with a loud thud and fell to the floor, one page hanging limply outside of the covers. Jack searched the area, trying to find the source of the noise, and saw another book lying on the floor alongside the first. Jack hesitated for a second, then ran over to the book and fell to his knees. He picked up the book gingerly, afraid he would rip it the same as the first, and tried to read the cover. 'Norse Mythology and Culture', Jack read silently to himself, the book he had to read for school. Jack opened the book hastily, nearly ripping a page off and began to read, but could not because of the poor lighting. He would have to-

"Jack! Jack, are you-" North burst into the room, his eyes scanning the room for his nephew, and found him on the floor, hunched over a book and shaking like a leaf in an Autumn wind. "Jack," North sighed and knelt down beside him. He took the book from Jack's strong grip and set it aside.

"N…North? There was… I saw… he was here." Jack whispered, not wanting the one he was speaking of to hear.

"Who Jack. Who was here?" North asked as he helped Jack from the floor.

"Pitch. North, Pitch is back. He was here, in my room. Right over there." Jack pointed to the corner he was just in. "I felt it. I know he's here somewhere. Come out! Stop hiding, you coward!" Jack yelled into the darkness as North sat him forcibly on the bed. He picked up the book from the floor and put it in front of Jack.

"Jack, please, do not start this again. Now, is this what made that noise?" Jack stopped his yelling for a moment to stare at the offending book. He shook his head and brought his hand out to grab it. North pulled it away and set it on Jack's night stand.

"What made that sound? Was it you? Jack, I am just worried for your safety. Are you alright?" Jack nodded numbly and stared into the corner again. North followed his gaze and stared at the corner as well. After a minute of silence, besides Jack's clattering teeth, North gave up and put Jack's comforter around his shoulders.

"Perhaps you should sleep with me tonight?" North suggested, hoping the teenager would agree, but knew the idea was shot down when Jack stared at him with those cold eyes of his. "Alright, alright. But, I will come in to check on you throughout night, yes? Just to make sure there are no more… outbursts."

"It was not an outburst, North. I saw, I mean, I felt… Why won't you ever believe me?!" Jack spat at North, anger boiling in his stomach, making him feel like he wanted to vomit again. North frowned at the boy and stood up.

"Jack, I want you to get some rest, yes? We will talk in morning." And with that, North left the room, leaving the door cracked open, but turning off the hallway light. Jack sat shaking on his bed, refusing to give into the Boogieman's nightmares, but, after an hour, his eyes closed and he passed into a dreamless slumber.


	11. Live Free and Ride Hard

"Yeah, they put me on antibiotics. Said it would help me get better or something. But, I put up a good fight. I'm just tired, is all, or else I would never have let them take me to the clinic." Jack laid back in the lounge and stared up at the ceiling.

"Don't you think it's strange how I always feel so sleepy when I come here?" Jack turned his head to face Dr. Mansnoozie, who was scribbling away in his notebook. Sanderson looked up and smiled and Jack averted his eyes. Just something about his smile that was so calming, but Jack did not feel like staying calm, no matter how much sleep pulled at the edges of his mind. Jack shifted his gaze to the hourglass filled with sand that was sitting on Sandy's desk. He always turned it upside down when he came in the room. Made him feel more comfortable since he remembered the man sitting opposite him to be the Sandman. It reminded him of the bond they shared, and still do, even if Sandy would not admit that he was indeed the bringer of dreams.

"I have been having these strange dreams, Sandy." Sandy stopped his scratching in the notebook to look up at Jack. He nodded his head for Jack to continue.

"Well, the dream always starts out white. I don't know why, but everything is white. It's weird. Like I was thrown into Antarctica or something. But then, I always hear someone calling my name, telling me I'm doing something wrong. That it's all my fault. I don't know what they're talking about, but it gives me the creeps. I always feel guilty, like I did do whatever they keep saying I did. And… and in a couple of the dreams, I see things. Not to sound weird or anything, but it changes. Sometimes it's a person, sometimes it's a bunch of people, but they're all blurry, like I'm trying to focus on them, but I can't. I never see their faces, just… you know, bodies. They're never alive. I have yet to see one living person in my dreams. What do you think it means Sandy?" Jack looked back at Sandy again, but Sandy just shrugged and wrote something in his notebook. He passed the notebook over to Jack and he read,

'Jack, it seems like your mind is trying to show you suppressed memories in its own fashion. Try writing down your dreams. It will help you remember them better. Bring them into our next meeting and we will analyze them together.'

Jack handed back the notebook and laid back down on the lounge chair, feeling his strength leave him.

"Sure thing, doc." Jack mumbled as his mind began to drift into sleep. He was startled awake by Sandy gently shaking his arm. He stood up, nearly knocking over the shorter man and walked to the door.

"Sorry Sandy. I guess I'm too tired to talk about my feelings today. Don't wanna break the tradition, so I think I'll go now." Jack said, then opened the door, but stopped when Sandy waved at him. "Yeah?" Sandy scribbled something on the notepad and Jack scoffed when he read it.

"I don't want to talk about my little adventure in the pond, thanks." Jack said then slammed the door behind him. He got to the outside of the building and sighed, feeling exhausted again. The antibiotics were supposed to help fight the pneumonia he had, but it didn't seem to do much good. Sure, he was feeling better than before, but he was still tired. And North was making him go to school tomorrow, since he was feeling so much better. Apparently four days without school was too much and he needed to catch back up on his studies. Jack sighed and pushed himself forward to North's truck. North had decided to run some errands while Jack was at his appointment and Jack didn't mind since he didn't have to face North in the waiting room, especially after the way he left today.

Jack opened the door and climbed in, then fell back into the seat and curled into a ball, trying to warm up. North looked down from his book and smiled at the boy.

"How are you feeling Jack?" Jack sighed and looked up at North.

"Just dandy," He said sarcastically, but the sarcasm fell short of North.

"Good! Then how about we take a break for rest of day, yes? Have a little fun. I know how much you like snow, so how about we go to sledding? Indoor sledding opened a few days ago in town. Sound good?" Jack perked up at the mention of snow and a smile crept onto his face.

"Can we get hot cocoa afterwards?" Jack asked, his energy coming back to him. North nodded and smiled back warmly, glad to see the boy finally enthusiastic about something. He put the truck into drive and began heading to the ice rink that hosted the sledding.

"How was visit with Sandy?"

"Today he just couldn't seem to shut up. I could barely get a word in." Jack joked, and North's smile widened.

"Yes, he does seem like talkative type, does he not?" North laughed.

"Do you really have to make me go to school tomorrow?" Jack pleaded after a minute of comfortable silence. North looked over at the boy, a stern look that told Jack everything he needed to know.

"You're a real bummer, you know that?" Jack pouted and stared out the window.

"I am just glad to see you feeling better already. Did you tell Sandy about pond adventure?"

"No. You already know, and I'm sure you've already told him everything. I don't see why-"

"I need you to understand that I do not know why you went in there. We had conversation already. Jack, you were alone in pond. There was no one there with you. You would have died, Jack. This is not a light matter, and Sanderson needs to know."

Jack stared out the window, the atmosphere thickening as the seconds passed by. "North, I'm sorry I scared you, but I'm fine and that's all that matters, right?" Jack finally broke the silence. North shook his head and glanced over at the boy, who was staring out the window still. North pulled into the parking lot for the ski rink and turned off the truck.

"You may take your time to tell me, Jack, but please do tell me when you can, yes?" North asked, and got a numb nod in reply. "Good. Then let's go sledding!" North opened the door and waited for Jack to get out and join him.

They both walked into the building and borrowed sleds from the main counter. They took an escalator to the top of the hill, and, North noticed with relief, the higher they went, the bigger the smile was on Jack's face. As soon as they were at the top of the hill, Jack sprinted toward the hill and threw his sled on the ground. He stared down the steep hill and sighed, feeling at home in the snow. How he missed being so far above the rest of the world, feeling free in his own element, able to create anything at a whim, and fly anywhere his heart desired. He may not be able to do the same magic as before, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it.

North walked up beside Jack and put a hand on his shoulder. "Race?" And that one word caused Jack to fall to his sled, a mischievous smile spread across his face.

"I'll win, of course, but I take your challenge. Now, get on your sled." North obeyed his command and readied for the initial push. Jack counted down, "Three…two…one…" then pushed off before he said "Go!" North pushed off after him, happy to let him take the lead. Jack maneuvered his sled like a professional, like he had been doing just this his entire life. It made North proud, in a strange way. They both reached the bottom at the same time, Jack swerving down the hill to make sure the race was even, slowing himself down when needed.

"A tie! We can't have that! I say, a rematch!" Jack exclaimed, then ran for the escalator, only getting halfway up before his pneumonia caught up with him and he had to catch his breath the rest of the way up. North shook his head and followed.

By the time they decided to get hot chocolate, the races were at 10-4, Jack winning most of them, of course. Jack sat back in the chair and sipped on the cocoa.

"North," Jack started between sips. North indicated he had his full attention. "What were my parents like? You say you're my uncle, but that means that I had parents. I can't remember them… well, I can't remember much, but, how were they?" North was taken a bit off guard, for this question had not come to North since the accident. North sat back and took a long drink from his cocoa.

"Well, they were good parents. Always loved you. They did not know you very long before they died. Car crash. It was sudden, but they went together. Your mother was a librarian. She loved to read to you. Your father worked for a good company. He was not home often, but that did not make him love you any less. I wish I could tell you more, but I was not close to your father, my brother." North set down his cocoa and looked over at Jack, who had become suddenly quiet. North took the mug from Jack as he noticed Jack was nodding off, his head lolled to the side and his eyes closed.

North smiled at the server watching them and the man took the cocoa away. North put money on the table and went over to rouse Jack back to life. He knelt down in front of him and gingerly shook his shoulder, but did not get a coherent response. North then scooped Jack up in his arms and proceeded to just carry him back to the truck. Jack's thin frame made for a mostly light-weight lifting and North was not a pushover in his age.

"North…" Jack mumbled into North's jacket as they made it outside, "I wanted to thank you for taking care of me…" North opened the door to the truck and laid Jack down on the seat. He put the seat back into a reclining position and shut the door.

They drove home in silence, but North was more than happy for this, for it gave him time to think about what Jack had said. He was finally accepting his new life. He acknowledged that he had parents and that North had always been there for him. This was a step North had been waiting for Jack to take. North had succeeded; Jack was finally accepting his life as a human. North was sure the day could not get any better.


	12. Living A Lie

And the day did not get any better. North guided the semi-conscious teenager into the house and sat him on the couch, where he proceeded to pass out. He put a blanket over the boy and went to the kitchen to get started on dinner.

Dinner filled the kitchen with a warm aroma after an hour and North set the table. He then went into the family room to rouse the sleeping Jack, only to find him missing from his spot, the blanket thrown on the floor. He must be prepping for dinner, North thought, then went to find Jack. As he passed his room, he noticed a movement from within. North opened the door to find his closet open and Jack standing just inside, holding something.

"Jack?" North asked, hesitating to move forward, in case he might startle the boy.

"Jack, what are you doing in my closet?" North quietly walked up behind the boy, worry rising quickly to the top of the list of what emotions he was feeling at the moment. Jack had yet to move from the position North had found him in, and this made North's worry rise even further.

"Jack, answer me. Why are you in here?"

"Why do you have this?" Jack whispered, so soft North nearly missed the question. "Why do you have this?!" Jack yelled, and North heard him hiccup before he turned around and showed North the Sheppard's Hook he was holding. Jack's cheeks were wet from the unwavering flow of tears coming from his eyes and he was shaking. North took a step forward, but was met with Jack taking a step back, away from the closet and North, hugging the hook like his life depended upon it.

"How-how long have you had this and not told me?" Jack whispered, his voice escaping him.

"Jack, it's not-"

"How long!" Jack yelled. North took another step forward, hand reaching out to Jack, but Jack just took another step back. "North, I was beginning to believe you. To believe this lie of a life you gave me. Well, I can see through your little game now."

"Jack, how did you find that?" North asked, trying his best to keep eye contact with the frantic boy in front of him.

"She told me. She told me it was here. She told me where to look and that everything here is a lie!"

"Jack, did your dreams tell you that?" North continued, inching closer to Jack, trying to make him calm down.

"Yes, North, my dreams told me. Well, they have told me a whole lot more truth than you have my entire life! Why did you do this?! Why did you make me a human! Why- don't come any closer!" Jack yelled as he finally noticed how little proximity was between himself and his supposed uncle. Jack pointed his hook at North, ready to fight with the powers he no longer possessed.

"Jack, calm down. Think about what you are saying-"

"No, North. I have done enough listening. I thought I could actually trust you, but this only proves that I was dead wrong."

"It is a gift, Jack! I was saving it for Christmas! I remember you said you used to have one, so I wanted to give to you, as present." North tried explaining, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"You're lying! I know you are!" Jack held his hands up to cover his ears and fell to his knees. North advanced, trying to cease the opportunity, but was held back by Jack swinging his staff in front of him, to ward off the other.

"Jack, please, put the hook back in the closet and-"

"Live a lie with you, North? Is that what you want? To live a crappy life with me in some stupid town, making me go to some ignorant school and learn nothing! Is that what you want?! Huh?! Well, I know I have better things in life than to be here. I have a season to create, and nothing you do will stop me." Jack threatened, then sprinted past North, just barely missing North's reach, and ran out the front door, North following close behind, but as North ran into the night, he could not see Jack in any direction. He could not have been that fast!

"Jack!" North yelled into the night, but there was no response, and he was not expecting one.

"Dammit Jack!" North cursed, then proceeded to call Aster. He was going to need help.


	13. What Home?

Author's note: Thank you for all who reviewed! You have no idea how happy it made me to come home from work and see this. Anywho, I just need to say that I am excited to get out the upcoming chapters soon because I know what happens and you have yet to, and a story is all about the adventure and all that good stuff. So, onto the story! By the way, still don't own ROTG. Perhaps one day...

* * *

"I-I don't need them. They all lied to me. I knew it all along. Ev-everything was real after all. Months of waiting, and finally… finally I am free again. I am free again!" Jack yelled into the night, face toward the dim light of the moon. "And not you, or anyone else can stop me now." Jack lowered his voice to a whisper as he stared in fascination at the sheppard's hook in front of him. Jack felt a cold ice run through his veins as he stared at it, the memories of his adventures with the hook rushing through his mind, blurred and half-remembered memories, as if they had been fading. Jack held his head as a pounding headache began to form.

"Dammit. North almost had me, but not now. Not ever. I just need… just need to find a way to get my powers back. But… but how?" Jack hissed to himself as he began stumbling through the night again, no true direction set in his mind, just the one goal to keep moving, to not be found.

"Jack…" Jack stopped where he was and spun around, but found nothing. A drop of sweat slid down the side of his face as he listened to the dead silence of the forest. Jack stumbled on after another minute, not caring what it could have been.

"Wait Jack…" Jack stopped again, but this time did not turn around. The voice sounded like it emanated from all around him, a whisper carried by the wind. Jack pulled up his hoodie and held his staff closer as he made a step to move forward again, but paused when he saw a ghostly figure standing in the trees before him. Jack squinted into the night, trying to find out who or what it could be, and saw the soft glow of the moonlight being reflected from tears.

"Jack, please, don't go." The woman whispered. She did not move from her spot, merely watched Jack from the distance.

"Lady, please, tell me who you are. I want to help you, but I can't unless you-"

"You know who I am Jack." The woman whispered, then went to take a step forward, into a patch of moonlight, but was stopped when a much darker shadow appeared behind her.

"No…No! Look out!" Jack yelled then ran to the woman, but the shadow engulfed her before she could make it to the light.

"No! No, come back! Dammit! Pitch! Give her back, now!" Jack yelled into the night, then began frantically searching the nearby area, in case there were any clues left behind, anything that could help him figure out where they could have gone, or who she was, but Jack saw not even a footprint in the area besides his own.

"No…" Jack leaned against a tree after chest began to ache. "Please... don't leave me alone…" Jack whispered, his heart now feeling heavier than his body as he sank to the ground. He cried silently, his body shivering from the cold of the night and his breath coming in short gasps in between tears.

* * *

"North, I searched the whole bloody area already. I don't know how, but I lost him. I'm sorry North. We're going to need to get light in here. I can't make out one trail from the next. The damn leaves keep coverin' the trail." Aster shivered against the cold and watched North, worry for his friend obvious, but comfort would have to come after Jack was safe.

"North, what set him off? I remember you telling me how good the day was goin'. What happened?" North sighed and watched the leaves stir on the ground. He felt suddenly exhausted and hopeless. How could this have happened? He was supposed to be taking care of the boy, and he was doing so well. Why did he have to get that damned hook for Jack? Because he wanted it so bad, and North wanted nothing more than for Jack to be happy. Just, since the accident, he had never truly been the same anymore. Something inside of his mind had been lost, or had opened, and North didn't know-

"North!" Aster shook North's shoulder roughly and stared him in the eye. "Hey, North, are you in there?" North looked Aster in the eye and then averted his gaze. "I have been trying to get your attention for a minute now. What're you thinkin' about?" Aster gazed over North's face and let go of his shoulder. "That's a stupid question." Aster scolded himself then turned away.

"We'll find him, North, don't you worry. He can't have gotten that far. The pneumonia is still messing with his lungs and-"

"And that is why it is urgent we find him sooner rather than later. He is going to hurt himself, Aster. He believes himself to be the spirit of winter, Jokul Frosti. After the accident, he took on that identity. I- that book, Aster. That book he was reading! 'Norse Mythology and Culture'. He took up that identity when he could no longer find his own. Aster, this is dangerous. We must be careful."

"What do you think I've been doin'?"

North looked up at his oldest friend and gave him a half-hearted smile. "Thank you, Aster, but I believe we should get the local police involved. They will be able to organize a search party and find Jack faster than if we worked alone." Aster nodded as North said this, taking out his phone and dialing the local police station. North stared into the woods as Aster discussed details. He was hoping beyond hope that Jack would just walk out of the woods and apologize. He did not even have to apologize. North just wanted to see him safe and sound back at home. He was not in his right state of mind, and North was not going to blame any of this on him. Just… please come home Jack.


	14. Dear Journal

Jack had stumbled on in the wilderness throughout the night, heading towards the mountainous area. Jack would find snow there, and that was where he needed to be. He needed to unlock his powers, and snow and ice were the best things he could use for that.

After another hour, Jack stumbled and tripped over something hiding in the tree roots. He bent down and picked it up, but found it heavier than he had thought. It was a backpack, full of books and other school supplies. Jack glanced around, looking for whomever the backpack might belong to, but from the soggy appearance of a few of the notebooks, Jack assumed the owner was long gone. He shivered, this time not from the cold, and searched through it. He found an empty notebook and a few school books. Jack tossed everything but the notebook aside. He remembered what Sandy had told him about keeping a journal to record his dreams, and he figured he might as well know what it was he was dreaming about. He grabbed a pen and the now empty backpack and sat down against a tree. After he gathered his thoughts, he wrote:

'Dear journal,

This is really lame, but I am going to do it anyhow. I am now heading to the mountains to get back my powers. I will live up to my name as Jack Frost. North has been lying to me. He almost convinced me that I was really a human, but I saw though his plan and ran away. Well, I wouldn't call it running away, more of an escape. It was too hot in there anyways. I like the cold. Of course I would, I am the spirit of winter. Well, I have to go now. Have to keep moving. Want to get to the mountains as soon as possible.'

Jack put the notebook and pen in the backpack and slung it over his shoulders. He picked up his staff and pushed himself from the ground, standing on unsteady legs for a minute, then continued his trek to the mountains.

* * *

"…And this is the last place you saw him, sir?" The officer looked up from his notes and North nodded, his mind racing with every other thought, like where could Jack be and I wonder if he is alright. "Sir?" The officer asked again, trying to be polite in the situation, but needing the answers. The sun had been up for quite some time now and North knew the cold of the night and the biting frost of the morning will not have helped Jack's health.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. He's just worried. What do you need to know?" Aster took up the conversation the officer was not getting from North.

"Well, I need to know if this was the last place he was seen, first off." Aster nodded, then pointed to the forest entrance off in the distance. "Lost his trail somewhere around there. Hoping you could do a better job of it." The officer nodded as Aster spoke, writing down on a small notepad.

"We will do everything we can. And thank you for the picture. It will be used for the search. Anything else you would like to add?"

Aster took in a deep breath, his muscles feeling sore after the hours of tense searching through the night. He let it out and nodded to the officer. "Yeah. The poor bugger believes he's a sprite or something. Thinks he can control frost and snow and whatnot. He's had pneumonia for the past week and it's confusing him, so if you find him, call one of us to calm him down. He's gonna fight. That's who he is, a fighter, and he will not go down easy. And be careful of his staff. He'll be sure to have it on him." The officer nodded again and tipped his hat to Aster.

"Thank you. A search party has been sent out already and they will be sweeping the nearby area within a twenty mile radius. If anything comes up, we will be sure to let you know." And with that the officer left. Aster shut the door behind him and turned to face North, who had not moved from his spot in the middle of the family room since the officer arrived.

"North," Aster approached his old friend slowly, not wanting a bad reaction, "Jack is strong. He'll be fine out there. I know it. What is it you always say?" North looked up at Aster and patted his belly. "That's the spirit. Now, I say we go out there and join them. We know Jack the best, and we will know where to look. I have a gut feeling he's heading to the mountains. The kid's always had a fascination with snow and I wouldn't put it past him to go to the nearest place with any for miles. So, how about it?" A twinkle in North's eyes and a reach for his jacket said it all.

* * *

"Turn back Jack. Go back. You do not belong here." The voice whispered through the white snow surrounding Jack. "Jack…wake up!" Jack startled awake and looked around. His staff lay across his lap in front of him and the backpack he had found last night was sitting next to him. A gentle wind blew through the trees and made the leaves sway. As they moved, Jack was surprised to find that his skin sparkled in the sunlight. He watched in fascination as the sunlight bounced off of his skin and glimmered like tiny diamonds. After the shadows covered up the sunlight again, Jack realized that he was covered in frost. A smile spread across his face. He made this! This was him! He knew it! It must be his proximity to the mountains! Jack flexed his hands and watched as the light danced from it. He stared down at his staff, and smiled again.

Jack stood after a minute and pulled the backpack over his shoulders. He leaned heavily on the tree until his vision stopped swimming, and began heading out to the mountains again. He would have to write in his journal later. His limbs felt numb and his breath was coming in slowly, no matter how hard Jack tried to breathe deeper. He did not care, though, for he could see the mountains before him, and the thought of running through the snow again, flying with the wind, warmed Jack's cheeks with excitement and something else that Jack could not place.

After an hour of travel, Jack had to stop to regain some of his energy. He sat against a tree and took out his notebook. He thought for a moment, then began:

'Dear Journal,

I told you I'd write to you later. Anyhow, I'm almost to the mountains. Well, closer. I had another dream last night. The voice, I think I know it from somewhere. It's strange, but whenever I hear it, I'm not afraid or anything. At least, I'm not in my dreams. I saw the same snowy landscape and stuff, nothing different there. Hopefully I can get a better idea of what it means through this. Write again later.'

Jack shut the notebook and closed his eyes against the sun. It felt warm, the sunshine, and Jack relished in it but hated it at the same time. He was the personification of the coldest season. How could he truly enjoy the sun's warmth? Jack sighed, then began coughing violently as his lungs constricted against the intake of air. His human body was becoming weaker, but he would fix that as soon as he reached the mountain top where all the snow was. Once he was there, he wouldn't be cold and tired anymore. He would be free of his ailments and would be flying through the sky without a care in the world.

Jack pushed himself from the tree and continued his journey through the forest.


	15. Decisions

"Aster, I cannot keep your pace. Please slow to a reasonable speed." North huffed a hundred feet behind Aster. Aster had scouted ahead for the trail and when he picked up on one, he became determined not to lose it.

"Mate, I think I found him. This looks like Jack's footprints. It looks like he was shuffling through the leaves here," Aster pointed to a small upheaved pile of dirt, "And he tripped over here…" Aster whispered to himself as he examined the patch of ground. He looked up to see a bush right where Jack would have fallen and noticed something small and blue waving in the wind. "North, commere. I think you're gonna wanna see this." Aster picked the piece of blue cloth from the bush, his hand getting caught on a few prickers on the way out, and held out the cloth to North. North gingerly took it from Aster's hand and examined it.

"Is Jack's hoodie. Same color, same material. We are heading in right direction. Jack must be close!" But Aster was shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, but the trail is at least a few hours old, if not more. It's hard to determine in the leaves. But that doesn't mean we stop, it just gives us more reason to hurry up." Aster hurried ahead of North again, determined to catch back up on the trail.

"Aster," North had stopped where Aster had left him, "What if…what if Jack does not want to come back?" North's head was bowed, staring at the ground, his cheeks rosy from the cold and constant flush of emotions roiling in his stomach. Aster sighed and turned back to his friend.

"North, we both know he's not in his right state of mind right now. He has a nasty fever, I'm sure, and it's causing him to not see reality. Now, the longer we wait here, the farther away he will get." Aster turned back around and searched through the leaves, delicately turning over a few to spot the trail in the mud beneath. North still did not move from his spot. Aster, noticing this, sighed.

"Now what?"

"Aster, what if he won't come home? What if he truly believes this is where he belongs? Who are we to stop him?" Aster rubbed his temples and walked back over to North.

"North, you are his legal guardian and I am his godfather, right? We both have legal custody of the kid until he's eighteen whether he likes it or not and nothing he says or does is going to change that. I want him at home and well before we have any discussion about what he does and doesn't want. He cannot make decisions for himself yet, so it's up to us to do it for him and this is the best we can do for him right now. Find him and keep him safe." Aster over-pronounced the last sentence, hoping to get his point across to North. It made perfect sense, and he did not understand why North would be arguing at all when Jack was out there in the cold by himself.

"Aster, this is what Jack has wanted since the accid-"

"No, North. You are not allowed to go there right now, alright? He became wonky after it, I understand, and we have been dealing with it ever since in the best way we could. But, that does not mean that we do not want what is best for him, and freezing to death in the cold is not the best for him. Now, please, let's move. I'm having no further talk about it." Aster then turned and followed the trail further into the woods. North pulled out his pocket watch and opened it, his stomach twisting when he saw the picture inside. It was of his family, Jack, his mother and father, and North. It had been taken when Jack was eight, a few months before they were killed in a car accident. It was the only time North had taken a photo of them together. North closed the watch and followed after Aster, his fingers and heart numb.

* * *

"I heard you! I know you're out there!" Jack yelled into the forest. He had been hearing leaves crunching behind him and had stopped, but when he looked around the forest, he had seen nothing. Jack went to yell again, but was silenced by a low growl from directly in front of him, in the trees. Jack held out his staff and pointed it to the offending shadow in the trees. Another growl emanated through the forest and Jack readied his position to fight. He watched the shadow as it moved closer, predator to prey, and flinched when a coyote jumped out of the shadows, right in front of Jack. He held his staff out, waving it around trying to scare it off, but to no luck. The coyote circled Jack, watching him warily, keeping just out of reach of the staff. Jack felt a cold sweat roll down his cheek just as he tripped over something on the ground. The coyote leaped for Jack and Jack rolled out of the way just in time. He swung his staff blindly and hit the coyote's head, but that only made it more aggressive. Jack looked around for something, anything he could use, and heard small whimpering sounds coming from a small cave a few feet away. Cubs. She was attacking because of her cubs. And Jack was a threat. Jack tried pushing himself from the ground, but lacked the strength as the coyote made another leap for Jack. It landed and bit Jack on the arm and began to thrash around, pulling and biting at the limb, until Jack faintly heard something loud off in the distance. The coyote went limp and fell on Jack, something wet soaking into his hoodie, not where the coyote had bit him.

"Boy, what are you doing out here?" Someone yelled from a distance, then grew steadily louder as they approached. "Kid, what are you doing out here. Are you- oh. We need to get you looked at. I'm taking you back to m-" but Jack was out before they could finish their sentence.


	16. Blood of the Innocent

Jack awoke to the sound of birds chirping. It was pleasant, but unexpected. He listened for any other sounds, hoping to hear North's laughter or Aster's arguing, but nothing. Silence besides the calming sounds of the forest. Jack tried to open his eyes, but could only open them wide enough to let light in. It was a dim light, and Jack appreciated that. He focused in on other details around him instead of trying to see. He was lying on his back on something soft and warm. He felt cold, but hot at the same time, and slightly damp, although it didn't make him uncomfortable. His left arm was throbbing, but Jack ignored that for now, more worried about where he was rather than how he felt.

"Awake now, are we?" A voice, feminine, remarked from a few feet away from Jack. Jack tried opening his eyes again, but they felt heavy and Jack did not care to put in any more effort. "No need to move. It would actually be better if you didn't." The voice sounded closer this time, and Jack flinched as something cold and wet was placed on his forehead. "What were you doing out there?"

"I-"Jack coughed weakly, "I was…" but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Tell me later. You're still in no shape to be talking. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you."

"Wh-who are you?" Jack forced himself to say.

"Yes, I should probably introduce myself. You can call me Toothiana. I live here in the mountains by myself, besides my birds, of course. They live outside, though, where they should be. Oh, I guess you could call me Tooth for short. I have been alone for years now; it's strange to have company." Tooth sighed and sat down on a chair next to Jack's bed.

"Ho-how long…" Jack mumbled, feeling exhaustion sweeping over him already.

"Only a day. Why don't you get some rest. I'll make tea and we'll talk later." Tooth said, and pulled the covers farther up on Jack just as he drifted away again.

* * *

"I am sorry. We have not found any sign of Jack on this end. If you find anything else on your end, please let us know."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Aster replied then ended the call. "North, ready to head out again?" Aster called behind him while shrugging on a jacket. Aster heard silence, then called again. When he received no reply, he walked into the kitchen and found North leaning against the counter staring at his watch again.  
"North, we're not going to find him standing around. Now, come on. We need to hurry."

"It's been almost two days." North said as he shut the watch and placed into his inner pocket.

"That's no reason to stop looking, north." Aster said as he tugged on North's sleeve and began walking toward the door.

"No, no reason to stop looking." North steeled himself and followed Aster through the front door.

"So, we lost his trail a bit before the path up the mountain. I think he would have been heading up, but my instincts are telling me otherwise. I believe he wandered around the mountain first, you know, trying to find an easier way up. He won't be getting too much farther in his condition, so I say we check the full base of the mountain and go from there. Here," Aster threw a walkie talkie at North and North caught it and put it in his pocket. "Good way to keep in contact. I'll go west, you go east, sound like a plan?" North nodded and followed Aster into the woods.

A few hours after they split up at the mountain base, Aster buzzed into the walkie talkie.

"Hey, I think I found our trail again. There's a dead coyote here, and I see two blood puddles. The first is from the coyote. The second…" Aster became silent and North heard a few shuffling sounds. "It may not be him, but there is a trail of blood leading a few feet away from the sight, to the north, toward the mountain. Whatever it is, I'm gonna find out. Meet me at the coordinates…" Aster paused, then more shuffling in the walkie talkie, and Aster gave him a set of coordinates to follow. "I'll start heading up. Just follow the trail of blood ahead. Over."

North's heart clenched as he thought of what could have happened to Jack. He was probably attacked by the coyote, but what saved him, if he was still alive at all? North's doubts were getting the best of him, but he had to be strong for Jack. He pushed himself to move to the coordinates Aster gave him on the map, praying Jack was alive and alright every step of the way.


	17. To Help or Harm

"Good morning sleepy head." Tooth chirped from across the room, then walked over to beside the bed Jack was semi-conscious in. "We need to get some fluids in you, so how about you try and sit up for me and I'll give you the tea. I even put some honey in it, to make it go down easier." Jack grumbled a reply and lifted himself up with the arm that was not throbbing, and with the help of Tooth, was able to get into a mostly upright position. Tooth gave Jack the tea and turned around to grab something behind her.

"I found these with you. This backpack and a staff. Are they yours?" Jack nodded, then took another sip from his tea.

"Th-this is really good. You make it just like how Nor…" Jack paused, feeling melancholy sweep over him, then shook off the feeling, "Like how a good friend of mine makes it." Tooth noticed the pause, but did not push the subject.

"So, are you ready to tell me why you were out there?" Tooth asked gently, not wanting Jack to shy away.

"I got lost on a trail." Jack lied, and Tooth gave him a look of suspicion.

"That's not what your journal says." Tooth remarked, and regretted it as soon as she said it.

"You looked in my journal?" Jack asked, sounding more confused than offended.

"I needed to know who you were, and that was the best option I had. I'm sorry. I like your doodles, though." Tooth remarked, trying to lighten the mood a bit, and Jack let it go for now.

"So, you live out here alone in the mountains?" Jack asked, then wiped at his brow as a drop of sweat escaped from his bangs. Tooth noticed this and picked up a damp cloth from a bowl of water and gave it to Jack.

"For your fever, and yeah, I do live out here alone. It's been a few years now since I had come into real contact with others. It gets lonely out here, sometimes, so I like the company. Plus, I couldn't just leave you in the woods to die." Tooth smiled, and Jack flinched at how white and perfect it was. Jack dabbed at his forehead with the cloth and relaxed into it, the cold feeling nice against his feverish skin.

"So, um, the arm…" Jack finally asked, noticing how tightly wrapped up it was. Tooth took out a sling from under the bed and set it on the bed in Jack's lap.

"Coyote bit you good. This is for whenever you feel like moving around. She bit through a muscle, so that needs time to heal. You shouldn't use under any circumstances, understood?" Jack nodded his understanding and set the sling beside his notebook on the nightstand beside the bed.

"So, I don't remember our previous meeting very well. How about you tell me what I missed?"

"Hmm, well I introduced myself to you, then you passed out." Tooth smiled again, and Jack could not help but smile back.

"What did you say your name was again?"

"Oh, Tooth, well, Toothiana, but Tooth for short. My mother gave me the name. It's native to her tribe near India and I got the nickname Tooth from… hey, what's the matter?" Tooth asked, noticing how silent and rigid Jack had become during her explanation.

"I-wa- you're Tooth. You mean, you're the tooth fairy?!"

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way. I'm not-"

"No, I should have seen it sooner. Of course you're the tooth fairy! I have been waiting for you to show up for ages! You-you're the one who holds m-m-my memories!" Jack let his words stumble out as Tooth grabbed Jack's shoulder, concerned about how much he was shaking and how little sense he was making.

"Jack, I think you should lie ba-"

"No, Tooth, don't you remember me? I'm Jack. Jack Frost. You know, the Spirit of Winter, the one who changes the leaves and leaves frost patterns- Tooth, you have to remember me. This is important. M-maybe if you help me- my dreams! You could help explain my-"

"Jack, you need to calm down. You're causing you fever to rise. Here, let's drink some more tea and-"

"Tooth, I am begging you. I've always trusted you more than anyone and I need your help now. Please." Jack begged, tears brimming his eyes as he stared at the woman resembling Toothiana before him.

Tooth sighed after a minute, and gave in. "What is it you need?" Jack's smile was almost blinding.

"Okay, I need you to help me unlock my memories. My life, the real life, is fuzzy, but it's there. I believe North put a spell on me or something; he was a wizard back in the day. Can you, queen of the tooth fairies and holder of memories, help me remember my past?" Tooth stared at Jack, a prominent frown on her face and her hands wringing. She did not want to give into Jack's delusion, but he was asking for her help, and for some reason, she could not turn him down.

"I'll see what I can do." Tooth answered after a minute and Jack could not contain his yelp of excitement.


	18. To Snow We Go

"Dammit! I lost it again!" Aster cursed, then threw down the walkie talkie. The wind blew abruptly past them and made Aster shiver and walk over to pick up the walkie talkie a few feet away.

"Aster, we are close, I can feel it. Snow is not far from here. Perhaps he is closer to summit?"

"It's a bit of a climb up there, North, I highly doubt Jack was able to make his way all the way up there, especially after only a few hours. Well," Aster combed his hair back with his hand and sighed, "It is possible, I guess. I'll try anything to get that bugger back. Alright, I'll trek ahead. You keep scouting the area down here. Walkie talkie if you find anything, yeah?" Aster said, then turned around and started heading up to the summit, or near there, to try to catch a whiff of Jack.

North stared down at the walkie talkie and shook his head, holding back a few tears that were trying to escape. He was one of the most formidable thieves back in the day. He was not going to show tears, at least not until he found his nephew. Nothing was going to stop him from finding the boy now. Jack was hurting himself, and it was North's job to make it better.

* * *

"So, um, how are we going to do this, Jack?" Tooth asked nervously, watching as the boy paced the room with his staff in hand, the other wrapped gently in a sling against his chest.

"Well, the last time I needed to remember something, you showed me a box and suddenly memories! But, you said you don't have any of those, or your fairies, so I guess we'll have to work without them." Jack paused in his pacing and stared out the window. He had not seen outside this window yet, and was stunned to see the summit of the mountain they were on so close. New energy coursed through him as he watched light clouds mist over the top of the mountain, making the summit disappear for it was as white as the clouds.

"Snow…" Jack breathed, then beamed at Tooth, who stumbled back a bit at the sudden show of energy. "Tooth, you have to take me there."

"Jack…"

"No, Tooth, you don't understand. Up there is snow and northern wind and…and… Tooth, I know you're having a hard time remembering your past too-"

"Jack, I don't-"

"But we have to go to the snow. At least get me there. I know I'll be able to remember everything up there. I can feel it, like it's pulling me to it. I need to be up there. That's my home, Tooth, don't you understand? I know you do. Just, please Tooth…" Jack's eyes brimmed again with tears and Tooth could not deny him of anything he wanted. She had been so alone before, and Jack was such a sweet kid, she did not want to disappoint him. She also felt like he was going to go whether she went with him or not, and she would much rather be with him so she could make sure he lived through the ordeal, at least.

Tooth sighed and nodded, then handed Jack some shoes and a jacket. "At least wear these. It's going to be very cold outside." But Jack was already shaking his head.

"No need, Tooth. I won't need them where I'm going." And that statement terrified Tooth.


	19. Where the Path Leads

Author's Note: Remember when I told you toward the beginning of this story about a fork in the road that would come up that I would need your input on? Well, here it is. I already have the the story finished with the way I want it to end, but, for the fun of it, I want to see what your theory is. Either that, or give me an alternate ending and I'll write it if I like it. (I will mention now though that with the original ending, I am working on another story that ties into this one. I will tell you no more, so enjoy!)

* * *

"Any sign of him, North? Over."

"Nothing Aster."

"Are you done speaking, North? Over."

"Yes, I am, why do you ask?"

"Because you have to say 'over' so I know you're done talking. Over."

"Right," a pause, "Over."

"Thank you. I found some tracks up here, North. They're fresh, so I'm going to follow them, see where they take me. Over."

"I will come up. Over." The walkie talkie went dead. North hiked up the small ledge and glanced behind him, noticing how high up they had become. He had never before been nervous with heights, and he knew that Jack was not either, but knowing that Jack was up here alone, where he could trip and fall to his death easily enough gave North a new energy to push forward and find his nephew. All he could really do was hope Aster could find him in time.

* * *

"Tooth! I can feel it! I can feel the power!" Jack breathed into the wind, the words lost to Tooth. She caught up to Jack, her arms wrapped round her torso in an attempt to retain warmth, but the biting wind took that away from her.

"Jack, please, slow down. I do not want you to slip and fa-"

"L-l-l-look!" Jack stammered out, his teeth chattering uncontrollably and his face burning. Jack leaned heavily on his staff and gasped as a few snowflakes blew past him. He watched in amazement as a low cloud began to drop flurries of snow down on them, flying past in a whip of wind. Jack watched as the snowflakes danced around him, singing for him in all their glory, just as they had before when he was…

"This is it. All I have to do is… is feel the season again." Jack yelled into the wind as it picked up again, whipping around a few more flurries.

"What?" Tooth yelled back, not hearing Jack's exclamation over the howling wind.

"I'm going ahead! I can hear it! It's calling me! I have to go!" Jack yelled back and ran forward, barefoot, staff in hand and smiling like Christmas had arrived early.

"Jack! Wait!" Tooth yelled, but lost Jack in a low flying cloud as it drifted through the higher mountain range. Tooth ran through after him, but when she came out of the other side, all she could see before her was the valley below. "Jack!"

* * *

Aster paused in his searching and caught a sight ahead of him. It had begun to snow a few minutes ago and Aster had been reluctant to move ahead, but when seeing a quick flash of blue, he found a warmth inside of him to run toward it, knowing there had to be only one blue thing up here.

"North, I think I saw him. Where are you?"

"I am where it is snowing. I see a trail, I follow it. I am near a cliff at the moment, and I think I see you. Over." Aster, confused, turned around and saw a rosy-cheeked North walking up behind him.

"H-how did you catch up so quickly?" Aster asked, shivering.

"Short cut. Trail leads right up here from cabin."

"What cabin? I didn't see-"

"Jack!" A voice carried by the wind caught the attention of both Aster and North. They waited while a woman caught up to them and paused for breath, hands on knees and breath coming out in a thick cloud in front of her.

"You-you know where Jack is?" Aster stammered, surprise quickly being wiped away from her sudden appearance.

"I do. I am going to guess one of you is North, then." North raised his hand and approached the woman, but she shook her head. "We need to find Jack, now. He ran off into the snow. He's going to hurt hi-"

"No need to explain. Let's go."


	20. To Be Free

(Please read the Author's Note at the bottom. It is important to the continuation of the story. Thanks!)

* * *

Jack stumbled through the rocks making up much of the area he was in. He breathed in the snowflakes as they fell around him and laughed when they bit at his face, like an old friend and enemy coming to greet him.

"Damn, I missed this!" Jack breathed as he bent doubled over trying to catch his breath. He coughed and began to stumble his way ahead again. The power, the freedom. He knew it was here that he would find himself again. Here that he would be who he was meant to be. Here he would rid himself of this human form and become the spirit of winter once again. Sure, he would be alone again, but he did not care about that at the moment. All he wanted was to control the winter again. To ride on the wind without a care in the world. No more school, no more homework, no more of Sandy's appointments. And Jack was sure that when he escaped this prison, that North and Aster and Tooth and Sandy would all follow him and tell him everything. They would explain why. Why they did this, why they couldn't trust Jack with this information. What Jack had done to deserve such punishment.

"Jack…" the wind whispered to him, coaxing him forward, and Jack followed, his feet moving numbly along the cold hard rock beneath. He wandered through a white cloud that had hung low and covered the area when the wind whispered his name again, and again, and again…

"Stop!" And Jack followed those orders without a second thought, his instincts kicking in for a moment while his racing mind tried to catch up.

"Jack, don't move…" Jack blinked and looked around, and found himself at the edge of a cliff. This was where the wind was leading him.

"Jack, please, step away from the edge. Come towards me." North. That was North. But this was where Jack needed to be.

"North. I can't."

"Then don't move. I will come over to you. Just stay-"

"No, North. I can't come to you anymore." North, baffled, tried to inch his way closer to the half-frozen boy. Aster and Tooth stood nervously behind him, not wanting to startle Jack, but itching to run over to him and stop him from whatever plans he had.

"Jack, please, I love you. We all love you. Please, just come back to us." But Jack was shaking his head. North did not understand what Jack wanted, but he was ready to give up anything.

"North… I need to know. Why?"

"Why, what, Jack?"

"You know what I want to know North. Don't play stupid with me! Why this!" Jack gestured to himself, then to Tooth and Aster, "Why any of this?! Why make everyone forget when we have so much to do, so much to protect?" Jack took a step backwards, away from North. North watched Jack's feet very carefully, calculating how close Jack was to the edge, and North was increasingly uncomfortable the closer he moved toward it and away from the open arms of his caretaker.

"Jack, I did not. You were born a human. You were always, and always will be, a human, and I love you just the same. You are the only thing we have, Jack. Please, come back to us." North pleaded, but Jack was hearing none of it.

"North, what are the dreams? Why am I dreaming this? Who is that woman?" Tooth gasped as she remembered the journal entries.

"North, his dreams-"

"I know." Then to Jack, "Jack, I do not understand your dreams, and I do not know who this woman is still, but, if you come back, we will find out. Together. We will do everything we can to find out-"

"That's not good enough, North. I need an answer. And I know what the answer is." Jack glanced back, and became dizzy at the sheer height of the drop below him. North inched closer while Jack was not looking, but stopped as soon as Jack was focused back on him.

"She warned me, North. She told me about you, and about this world. How it cannot be real. How you are just lying to me. How-how everything here- how everyone here, is a lie. And I have to prove it. She said so. There is only one way to find out." Jack raised his staff off of the ground and back up to the cliff, watching North carefully as he felt his heels lose ground, knowing he was right at the edge.

"North, I have to go. I will see you when you decide to tell me the truth."

"No! Jack!" North yelled and ran forward.

"Take me home, wind!" Jack whispered and felt the wind push him back as he fell into the open air, staff in hand and snowflakes brushing against his cheek. This is where he needed to be. This is where he would find the truth, where his dreams had been taking him. This was who he was. Jack Frost. And nothing was going to stop him.

And for a moment, he felt like he was flying.

* * *

Author's Note:

I know, I know. I do love my cliffhangers (budum-ch), but you guys have to trust me on this. I decided to not end the story there. That was the original ending. I will be continuing this story in a completely different setting. It sounds strange, but trust me on this. I apologize for not answering very many questions, either. I left them all open for a reason. They will be answered later on. For now, this part of the story is over, but will be continued as the story progresses. Thanks for dealing with my antics and please enjoy!


	21. Heating Things Up

Author's Note:

For everyone who forgot to read the note from the previous chapter, and not wanting to utterly confuse you, I have jumped to something else that will ultimately end up tying in with the previous chapter. I apologize, but I did not want to make two separate stories for reasons of not wanting to confuse people even further by splitting them up. So, thank you for your patience and enjoy!

* * *

"Jack, you're late."

"That's not fair, North. You know how much I hate the snow. I can't help that it slows me down to a snail just trying to reach this forsaken pole." Jack whined as he took a seat opposite the Easter Bunny, closest to the fire.

"Jack, please be nice. We all know how much you dislike coming out here, but it's a guardians meeting and it has been an hour since the meeting started." Tooth tried to calm down the two as they stared each other into oblivion. Jack scoffed and folded his arms, then put his feet on the table.

"Yeah, whatever. What'd I miss?"

"Oi, feet off the table, Sunburn." Bunny snapped and Jack chuckled as he pulled his feet from the table.

"What, been hanging around the frost sprites again, kangaroo? You seem extra cold as of late." Jack teased. Bunny went to open his mouth to make a retort when North quieted them with a drop of his book.

"Children, we are trying to conduct a meeting. If you do not want to be a part, then go to hall. Otherwise, I will continue with or without you." Jack and Bunny sat still, but glared daggers at each other. This was sufficient to North, so he continued with where they had left off.

"We were previously discussing the current conditions of winter. It seems that it is steadily falling. A lack of snowstorms and winter hazards are both a blessing and a concern. With you being still relatively new in your position as the spirit of summer, the activity on your end is high. The two seasons need a balance. Winter needs a new spirit to replace Old Man Winter soon. He wishes to retire as soon as possible and live out the rest of his mortal life in Russia. I wish to grant him his request, but it is not under my directive to conduct such orders. So I will have meeting with Mother Nature in next month to discuss choosing of new winter spirit. We just needed to find who. We can either promote a sprite to immortality, or choose a worthy human. Although it is not under our jurisdiction, it has been asked of us to help with choosing process. She especially wanted to make sure you, Jack, were involved in choice since they will ultimately be your polar opposite and you will have to get along with them, generally speaking." North glanced toward Jack and gave him a hint of a smile before turning his current page over to where neat cursive handwriting was covering half of the page.

"Any ideas, Jack?" North asked tapping his pen on the table to get the ink flowing.

Jack sat forward in his seat and fiddled his thumbs in front of him. "Why do I have to make input? I don't work with winter now, so why should I worry about it?"

"Because, Jack, you should be working with winter. The past few hundred years have been rough on the human race because of the constant conflict between summer and winter. The last time this kept up there was an ice age. We do not wish for this to happen again, so we want your input on this. We need you to be able to work with other spirit. Remember that these are only suggestions, but what you say will have great influence on choice made." North paused from his writing and studied Jack from under his eyebrows. He then sat back in his head chair and smiled. Jack frowned when he saw that, knowing that whatever North had to say would not be pleasant on Jack's end.

"Homework for Jack. Find three people or spirits not already assigned to a job and watch them. Will give you month for research three people and come back with suggestions. I will have help from Manny on your progress, so I suggest you at least try. Jack, please don't mock me." Jack put his hands in his lap and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I'll get to it. Anything we need to talk about, or is this it?" Jack asked, acting as if bored with the whole discussion. Sandy shook his head at Jack and smiled. Tooth sighed, giving up on trying to stop his arrogant remarks. Bunny crossed his arms and looked to North. North pondered Jack's question slowly and tediously, as if this was the most complicated question he could have been asked at that moment. After a minute, he slowly began nodding.

"Yes. Yes, I do believe that this meeting is over. Now, there are will be a follow up meeting in two weeks, so please check back in. If there are any problems, I will send out elves. Jack, I will leave note at usual place, yes?" When Jack gave a light nod, North smiled and stood from the table, nearly knocking over his seat.

"Now, I have food ready in dining room, if you would all care to join." Jack got up and walked for the window, but Bunny caught the collar of his button-up shirt easily as he walked briskly by. Jack lurched back and was caught easily by Bunny.

"And where do you think you're goin', Sunburn?" Bunny teased and watched Jack as he pushed away from Bunny and frowned.

"Getting away from you, first of all. Secondly, I need to attend to some important summer duties and stuff, so if you would let me-"

"Jack, you have been working for months now with no break. How about you just join the family for once? We all miss you." Tooth chimed in, trying to convince Jack to stay and chat for a while. Sandy, right behind Tooth, gave two thumbs up and a quick nod. North stared at Jack, waiting for his response. Jack sighed and straightened out his collar, which had been pulled up when Bunny grabbed it.

"Fine, but then I have to go. Being here makes me on edge, you know, with winter right outside and everything." Jack finally gave in and was greeted with a sudden release of tension in the air.

"Then what are we waiting for? Food is getting cold!" North exclaimed and began the march to the dining room located right across the workshop.

"This should be fun." Jack muttered under his breath.


	22. Just Fine

Author's Note:

I know this is confusing, but it will all make sense given time. Promise. I will give you a hint to the stories. This part, I will dub the second part, takes place before the first part. Don't think about it too hard. I still don't own ROTG. If you do, then good job. And if you figure this out, then even better job.

* * *

"So, Jack, tell me about your season? How have you been?" Tooth started the conversation, all having received a plate of food and were eating contently, all except Jack, who stared at his food as if it were questioning his life choices. Jack sighed and pushed the plate away from him.

"It's fine, Tooth. I'm fine, everything's fine." Jack said, and messed with a button on his shirt.

"Jack, you can't keep doing this. You have been ignoring us for months now. Please tell us what is wrong?" Jack continued playing with his shirt button, acting as if Tooth had not spoken.

"Oi, Sunburn, answer her." Bunny snapped, then sat back and ran his paw over his ears. "Look, Jack, we have all been worried about you, alright? You've been avoiding us like the plague and we all just want to know what you have been doing all this time." Bunny tried reasoning, but Jack just ignored him. "Fine, have it your way. Why would I care about a brat like you anyhow?" Bunny finally snapped then went back to his meal, angrily chopping up the cooked vegetables on his plate.

Tooth flew over to Jack and landed next to him, putting her arm over his shoulder. "Please tell us what is wrong, Jack. We all know that you were late for another reason today. Just tell us the truth, and we can help."

"There's nothing wrong, Tooth." Jack muttered, unable to ignore Tooth any longer. She was always there for him when he needed it and he did not want to upset her.

"Then what have you been doing the past few months? We really do want to know, Jack. We all care about you." Jack shook his head and dropped his hands into his lap.

"It's nothing, really. Just, you know, the usual stuff. Hanging out in the desert, making it storm, stuff."

"And what about that tornado outbreak in the states back a month ago?" Bunny said through a mouth of cooked broccoli. Jack inhaled sharply and looked away. A light buzzing began in the back of his mind and he could feel electricity flowing through him.

"Ow!" Tooth yelped and pulled her arm away from Jack. Jack huddled into himself and apologized.

"Cool down a minute, Jack. I was just inquirin'. Worried, you know?" but Jack just stared at the table, knees tucked in under his chin and arms wrapped around his legs. Tooth approached Jack again, hesitant incase the air around him was still electrified, and touched Jack's shoulder gently.

"Jack, we only want to help. You know that. We all love you and do not want to see you like this. Just tell us what the problem is and we will help, no questions asked." Tooth soothed, trying to calm Jack and have him talk to them. Jack turned his head away from the faery and closed his eyes, then let the tension in his body ease for a minute. The temperature in the room fell a bit as Jack calmed back down, the heat radiating off of him less intense.

"It-it's just, you know." Jack mumbled into his knees. Everyone at the table stared at Jack until Bunny finally decided to speak up.

"Yeah, what are we supposed to know?" Bunny took another bite from a steamed carrot and grimaced at the taste. "Never did like carrots…" he mumbled, then turned his eyes back to Jack who was still unmoving, Tooth still at his side.

"You can tell us in your own time, if make you feel better." North said from his end of the table, then took a swig of his ale. Jack nodded, answering North, and Tooth took her seat.

Dinner proceeded with Tooth and North discussing the best use of swords in battle, while Bunny and Sandy made a small house out of the carrots. Jack sat in his chair and watched them, having yet to touch his own plate. After the carrot house finally toppled over, Jack lost his patience.

"Look, I attended dinner. Now can I please go?"

"You are not hungry?" North asked, standing up to walk over to the boy. Jack stood from his seat, grabbed his staff and began heading toward the door, away from North.

"I'm never hungry. I'm dead, remember?" Jack spat back to the group, then left through the opening. North went to follow Jack out the door but was held back gently by Tooth, who was shaking her head.

"He needs some time alone." She said, but North was having none of it.

"He asked for space last time, and we gave it to him. It has been months, Tooth. He needs to tell us what is wrong. It is creating unrest in atmosphere. Is very dangerous." North explained, then walked out of the door after Jack.

Jack kept his head low and speed walked through the workshop, not wanting to be mesmerized by any of North's contraptions. He enjoyed watching and playing with them, but being in the North Pole always made him feel edgy. He could feel the cold seeping in from every direction around him, could hear the Northern wind howling around outside, telling him he did not belong here, and Jack never argued with it. He was not meant to be here, and he thoroughly enjoyed it when they had a meeting at Tooth's palace, or in Bunny's warren. Why they kept coming back to this place, however, Jack would never understand.

Jack picked up his pace as he heard North's shouting a ways behind him. The workshop was crowded as usual, and that also made Jack feel uneasy. He spent most of his time in the desert or somewhere secluded where no one else could bother him. Being here surrounded by so many at once bothered him more than anyone could understand.

Jack pushed his way past a few yetis and elves holding books and bottles of multicolored liquids. He kept squeezing his way through, trying to keep his head down and his heart steady until he made it to the other side, when he was pushed over by one of the yetis. The bottles and books the yeti of holding toppled over Jack, a few of them shattering on the floor and others landing right on Jack. He was knocked over, his vision becoming fuzzy, when one of the bottles hit him square in the head and he fell on the broken bottles on the floor. His senses fuzzy, he lay in the mingling liquids below him, unable to find the energy to get up.

"Jack!" North shouted as he finally approached the chaotic scene before him. Yetis and elves were scrambling to clean up the domino effect that Jack had accidentally created during his rush to leave. Jack, as it were, was in the epicenter of the chaos, and was lucky enough to be covered in the insides of the only bottles that were broken in the mess. North's heart skipped when he approached Jack's still form, but sighed in relief when he saw him trying to get up when he came closer.

"Jack, don't move." North warned, knowing that those potions were not something to be trifled with. North bent down near Jack, careful not to touch any of the concoctions on the floor. North noticed, after careful study, that Jack's blood was mingling with the potions. He traced his way back up to the deep cut on Jack's arm, which was steadily seeping blood. North's eyes widened and he picked up Jack from the mess, hoping it was not too late. He brushed some of the glass from Jack's hair and shirt, careful not to cut himself in the process, and ordered his yetis to cautiously clean up the mess. He applied pressure to Jack's wound on his arm, then noticed a bit of blood seeping from under his bangs. His eyes followed that up to the cut on the top of his head, where blood was matting his hair together.

Tooth and Bunny appeared from the doorway after they heard the crash. They watched the scene unfold and raced over to North who was holding Jack as if he were the most fragile china doll.

"What happened?" Bunny was able to get out as North brushed past him, heading to the infirmary. Tooth followed and Sandy finally appeared from the room, also following the group. Right as they reached the infirmary, Jack snapped out of his daze and jumped from North's arms. North gasped and watched as Jack ran from the hall and back into the workshop.

"I'll get him." Bunny growled and hopped ahead, chasing after Jack.

Jack rounded the corner at breakneck speeds and grabbed his staff from among the mess of yetis and elves. He then ran for the window and pushed it open, jumping out with ease. The wind caught him and pulled him high into the air until he was above the clouds and was then switched over to the southern wind's care. Jack let his breathing even out as he drifted lazily above the clouds, and shivered. He could see nothing but white for miles, but he felt better already. He clutched his staff tight as he flew through the wind, but winced when his arm began to throb. He stared down at the offending arm and was surprised to see that blood was seeping from a deep wound there. It would heal with time, and the wound would not kill him, but he should get it patched up anyhow.

"Wonder how I got that…" Jack said to himself, then ripped off one of his sleeves and wrapped it tightly around his arm to staunch the flow of blood. He shrugged and winced as his head began to throb. He held it to stop the pounding then pulled it back when he felt something wet seep between his fingers. Blood was covering his hand and Jack gulped.

"Going to have to fix that too…" Jack mused, then felt the world begin to slip away from him. His headache became overwhelming just as his vision became black.


	23. Dreamless

Jack was greeted to the night air by a few flurries and the wind. It kissed his cheek and whipped him up into the air with ease.

"Anywhere special tonight, wind? I think a nice trip to Antarctica will do the trick." Jack smiled mischievously as he glanced around at his handiwork, admiring the fine frost designs on each window of the Korean home he passed. It was nice to get out and enjoy the world. It was late in the season, but it never hurt to remind everyone of the fun of winter. That was his job, anyhow. To be the guardian of fun. And he would make sure that everyone remembered this, even if they did not know who he was.

Jack flew through a cloud and appeared on the other side. The sight before him was fantastic, as the tops of the clouds were glazed with moonlight, making them shine with a silvery hue. Jack yelled into the night air, just needing to get everything out of his lungs, and hoping to get the attention of a spirit up here. Sometimes he would run across a moonbeam, and, if he was lucky, Nightlight, but those times were far and in between. The moonbeams only spoke to the Man in the Moon and Nightlight, so Jack was usually always alone. Well, except for the Guardians, of whom looked to him as part of their family. Jack was still warming up to this idea, but seeing as warming up was not something Jack could do comfortably, he ignored it and just hoped that the feeling would come with time.

As Jack flew just above the clouds in a breathless exhilaration, he whipped his staff around and created a few flurries behind him. That town, wherever it was, were going to get a fine sprinkle of snow tonight. At least enough to cover the slightly browned grass, still recovering from winter.

Jack sighed and laid back in the sky, his hook locked behind his head, over his shoulders. He closed his eyes and let the wind carry him where it pleased.

Jack startled when he heard something in the night air and glanced around him, but obviously there was no one in the sky with him. He was alone besides the gentle wind. Jack shrugged it off and put his staff back behind his head again, intent on relaxing while up there.

"Where am I…" the wind seemed to whisper, but Jack knew better. The wind had never spoken before; why would it start now. Jack shifted into a more fight ready position and waited for the voice again. He was not let down as the same question was asked a few minutes later.

"Alright, where are you?" Jack asked into the wind, and was greeted with a gasp. Jack put a hand to his head as a headache began to form. Perhaps he has been pushing himself? Not enough rest. That must be it. Jack silently ordered the wind to take him back to his lake in Burgess to relax for a while. The wind changed direction and Jack leaned into the current just as the voice came back.

"Why is it so cold?" the voice questioned, and Jack held his head again as his headache worsened. Jack's eyes then widened with panic as he felt a warm liquid under his palm that was not there before. He pulled his hand back and was surprised to see it covered in blood. He then caught sight of his hoodie sleeve, which was now steadily dripping blood as well. He pulled his hoodie sleeve up and saw a large cut steadily dripping blood down his elbow and into the wind. He pulled his sleeve back down when he touched the ground of where he called home and unsteadily walked his way over to a bed of grass off to the side of the small lake. He sat down heavily and held his head again, his headache worsening by the second.

"I haven't been here in so long…" the voice whispered, and Jack could not pinpoint where exactly it was coming from, but that didn't matter to Jack as his head seemed to implode with pain and the world become dark.


	24. The Study of Magic

Jack gasped and sat up, but was pushed back down by steady hands.

"Woah, take it easy there, mate. You're safe." The rough voice of Bunny soothed. Jack stared up into the open sky above him, watching a lazy cloud drift by. He flinched when a sharp stab seemed to attack his arm and he tried to pull it away, but Bunny had a firm grip on it.

"Don't wanna do that 'til I'm done. Gonna rip the stitches out. Only a few more should do it." Bunny said as Jack relaxed in his grip. He felt comfortable in this position, not being too cold, but not surrounded by heat, either. With his other hand, Jack reached up and gingerly touched the top of his head, where a nice bump had formed.

"Hit yer head pretty hard. North told me about the accident. Nearly gave us all a heart attack. Gotta be more careful next time, Sunburn." Bunny pulled the last stitch through and cut the end off. "There. All done. North wants to see you back at the pole-"

"I'm not going back there." Jack mumbled, trying to make his request sound more forceful, but his energy still felt drained.

"No, you don't seem to understand. This was not a request. We are going back to the North Pole whether you like it or not."

"And why should I? I just left the dinner to get right… where are we, by the way?" Jack asked as he sat up and looked around. He noticed a lake off in the distance and his heart stopped for a moment when he recognized the area.

"Burgess. Must have crashed here after your little outburst tired ya out. North needs you back there because those potions-"

"Wait wait wait. Hold on a second. Let me think. How did I get here? I wouldn't come here unless I had a damn good reason. And what's this about potions?"

"If you would let me finish, ya numbskull, I'm trying to tell you that North tested the bottles that fell on you and he believes they are-"

"What bottles? What are you talking about?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Bunny asked, almost in surprise, but took a second to ponder. "You did hit yer head pretty hard. Might've caused your memory to blank. Either way, we need to head back to the Pole." Bunny grabbed Jack's arm and helped him off of the ground. Jack stood on his legs unsteadily at first, wincing as blood rushed into his head and caused his vision to fuzz for a moment, then stepped away from Bunny.

"Sorry, Kangaroo, but I'm needed elsewhere. Things to see, places to be, the usual. But thanks for stitching up my arm and stuff. And tell North that I-"

"Tell North what, exactly?" North's booming voice asked from directly behind Jack. Jack jumped and turned to see the large Russian man standing behind him, a look of concern and no nonsense written across his face.

"I told you he wouldn't listen." Bunny grumbled.

"Just wanted tell you that I am glad you came. So, what was it you wanted?" Jack asked, picking up his staff from the grass and leaning forward on it. North cleared his throat and pulled out a book. He flipped through a few pages and stopped halfway through. "Ah, here we are. The master list of potions and spells, by Ombric himself. Good thing I took the time to read it. Apparently his old book keeping skills are still useful after all this time." North smiled at the warm memories of his former mentor, then began tracing his finger through the page he was on. Jack began tapping his foot impatiently, not wanting to be in this area any longer; needing to be somewhere to release the tension that was steadily growing in his body.

"Ah, here we are. Now, let us see…" North scanned over the section he was on and tapped his finger a few times on certain words, as if for clarification. "This is the potion that is possibly in your bloodstream at the moment. It is-"

"Hold it! What did you say? In my blood? First of all, how did it get there, and second, why do you have these things?"

"I was a wizard back in the day, do you not remember Jack?"

"Of course not. But that doesn't-"

"Is in your blood from when you ran into yetis and potions spilled into your cut. The specific potion that broke over your cut is an experimental one I have been working on to connect dimensions. I have not tested it, and I did not think to ingest it as a means of testing, but, seeing as it is in you now-"

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You are still wizarding and stuff, and you have a bunch of voodoo magic potions just lying around. Not just that, ones that can let someone communicate with other dimensions?" Jack seemed appalled and fascinated with the idea, and North was nodding as Jack spoke. "And I have this potion in my blood right now." Another nod from North. "So… how do we get it out?"

"This is where problem comes. Is experimental, as I said, so I do not know how to fix. I am very sorry, Jack, but you have to ride out what happens next. I want you in Pole so I can keep close watch on you. It can be very dangerous. I need you to tell me everything that has happened so far so I can-"

"No no no no no no no no." Jack shook his head quickly and began backing away from North and Bunny. "I am not, no. You are not taking me back there. I have this… this, I don't know, time and space warping drug in me and you just expect me to go with you so I can be a guinea pig for you stupid little experiment?" Jack tightened his grip on his staff and began floating an inch above the ground. The air became electrified and the surrounding area began to heat up from the sudden rush of emotions.

"You are not taking me with you, and that is final."

"Jack, you have to listen-"

"I have waited three hundred years for you to listen! I do not need your input now, thanks." Jack spat. "And don't come after me! I'll handle whatever this is on my own." And with that Jack flew into the air, leaving the sky rumbling with an oncoming storm.

"This is not going to end well." Bunny commented and North could do nothing but agree.


	25. Better Half

"Why do they always have to mess everything up? Treating me like a lab experiment when it's their fault in the first place. I should have-"

"You should take it easy on them." Jack startled and glanced around his hiding place, a cave on the side of a cliff, in the desert.

"Who said that." Jack asked, lifting himself from the ground and tightening his fist around his staff.

"Although I hate admitting it, North and Bunny were only trying to help."

"And who are you to make any judgment about what was right and wrong?"

"I am. This is a weird dream. I've never argued with myself before." Jack stumbled back into the cave wall and covered his ears when he realized that the voice was coming from inside his head, as if he were speaking in his own mind, but without control of the thoughts.

"Get out of my head! Who said you could go in there?!" Jack yelled while covering his ears.

"I did. I think I'm asleep right now, so, long story short, I'm pretty convinced this is a dream. Maybe a prank by Sandy or something." The inner voice mused. Jack slowly slid to the ground and uncovered his ears, finding that it didn't help him.

"I'm going to tell you right now that you are not dreaming, you are in my head. What's your name, anyhow? If I'm going insane I might as well know what I'm calling it." Jack gave in and let his head fall forward into his raised knees. He put his arms around his legs and relaxed his grip on his staff.

"I'm Jack Frost. Man, this is weird talking to myself in a dream." The dream Jack laughed.

"You must be my insanity then. Why else would I name myself the exact opposite of me?" Jack shook his head and gave a short half-hearted chuckle. "So, what are you doing in there, anyhow. Why haven't I heard you before?"

"You think I know? I'm in the same boat as you. Sorry to say it, but I'm starting to think I'm insane too. This has got to be the strangest dream I've ever had." Dream Jack laughed, finding the whole ordeal amusing and not nearly as terrifying as real Jack was taking it. "Maybe you know how I got in here." Dream Jack said after a minute of silence.

"I don't know. It- wait, North said that a potion or something… hold on." Jack lifted his head from his knees and stared forward at the blank wall in front of him. "He said the potion was a means of communication between two dimensions. Wait… I think I'm blowing my own mind here." Jack's mind was racing a mile a minute and a prominent frown dominated his face. He did not know whether to be thrilled or horrified at his revelation.

"Whoa, slow down there, Flash. I can't follow when you're speaking so quickly. And your words aren't making much sense."

"I wasn't talking. I stopped to think about… wait, can you read my thoughts?"

"Clear as day. I thought you were talking."

"I was when I was having my revelation, but not after that."

"Yeah. I want to know what's going on but you won't slow down."

"Damn, you can read my thoughts!" Jack cursed, but a smile was forming at the corners of his mouth.

"That's not what you're excited about, though."

"Not by a long shot. I think you're-"

"From another or parallel dimension or world. And I am starting to believe you're right. I mean, talking to myself? Reading thoughts? And I would never be caught dead in the desert. Well, I mean, I would be caught dead in a desert, actually, more literally speaking."

"So, wait, are you telling me that you're the exact opposite of me?"

"Pretty sure I made that clear. Well, as clear as in my own head is going to get. Why, what's your name if not Jack Frost?"

"Jack Brulant. Spirit of Summer."

"Wow. We must be opposites. Jack Frost, as you already know, Spirit of Winter. I help with the changing of the leaves and am famous for my frost patterns left on windows during the cold season. Can conjure up snow and stuff. And you?"

"Well, I help with the pollinating of new life, for plants," Jack blushed and heard the other Jack snicker before continuing, "And I am famous for creating shapes in the clouds. You know those clouds that look like a butt?"

"Yeah! That's-"

"All me. I can create thunderstorms, although I cannot make it rain, and I can, at times, create tornados and help with the creation of hurricanes, although they are not necessarily in my department of weather phenomenon. I mostly help it to rain, but the conjuring of clouds are my department. I also add that extra boom to a thunderstorm with lightning and thunder."

"Wow, almost jealous. That sounds like a pretty cool job."

"And yours sounds like a literally cool job."

"Yeah, I suppose. So, are we stuck like this forever or…"

"Well, now that I think about it, I fell asleep not too long ago and I thought I had woken up again, but… I think I was inside of your head." Jack almost laughed.

"You know what, I think I remember that. I remember someone asking me questions. I didn't realize it was coming from my own head. It didn't seem totally sentient."

"Well this being is completely sentient and that was one-hundred percent me. So, this whole head talking thing goes both ways. That's pretty cool."

"But, how did you get out of it?" Dream Jack asked.

"I… I woke up. The last thing I remember from you is pain… then I woke up with Bunny stitching up my arm."

"I probably would've been utterly terrified in your position. I mean, Bunny right there when I wake up? No thanks."

"Yeah, but that leaves open the question if you're alright? I mean, that pain was not mine, but I could feel it, like a nagging headache."

"Yeah. And I remember before passing out that my arm was cut open. It seems we have the same wounds."

"But I remember you being so confused my them, like they weren't there before."

"That's because they weren't. I guess I'm somewhere right now bleeding to death, then, if everything lines up."

"We better figure out how to wake you up so I don't kill myself." Jack sighed and pushed himself from the ground. "But how. I woke up, but that's only because you passed out. Maybe… maybe I have to be unconscious for you to be conscious?" Jack mused, and dream Jack agreed.

"So, how do you propose we do this?" Dream Jack asked.

"Like this." And Jack quickly shoved his head back into the cave wall. Stars appeared in front of his eyes and he fell to the ground, still conscious. "Alright… new plan." And Jack, after gaining his footing, jumped out of the cave.

"You know, I think we need to think of a better plan next time." Dream Jack said as the ground became dominant in his vision.

"Yeah, I agree. We'll have to-" But the ground stopped his words.


	26. Cooling Down

Jack's eyes flew open and he sat up, far too quickly, and made himself dizzy. He caught himself before he fell back to the ground and glanced around the area. He was alone where he remembered passing out, next to his lake in Burgess. He stared at the lake, a little ways off to his side, and smiled.

"You have some pretty messed up feelings here." Summer Jack said in Winter Jack's mind.

"Hey, don't go through my memories unless I say you're allowed. Especially if we're going to be stuck like this going back and forth thing. I don't know what you did to get us into this mess, and I have no idea of how to get out of this mess, but I think our best course of action is to gain trust and-"

"Have cool nicknames! I mean, I can't call you Jack knowing that you're the same Jack from a parallel universe. It's just weird. So how about you're Frosty and I'm Lord of the Sun?"

"Or how about you're Thing 1 and I'm just Jack?"

"We're not making much progress here." Summer Jack sighed, in his form of sighing within Winter Jack's mind. "How about we just call each other by our last names until we think of something more creative?"

"Sure. Sounds like a plan to me. What was your name again?"

"Brulant. The thing above the "u" was removed when my family moved to the States 400 or so years ago, but it used to be French for 'burning' or 'fiery'."

"Cool. Mine is Frost, English for those squiggly things I make on peoples windows in the winter." Frost said, trying to lighten the mood and take his mind from the pain in his arm and head.

"Hey, that feels like it hurts. How about you get that cleaned up and stuff. How did you even get it again?"

"That's a good question." Frost said, wincing as he lifted his arm up in front of him to inspect the damage. "Man, my head hurts. This sucks."

"You're telling me. I can feel everything you can." Brulant winced as Frost held his head, then went to stand up, but fell back to the ground when he put pressure on his right leg. "Now that's new…"

Frost glared down at his useless leg and finally noticed how it was twisted in an awkward fashion.

"Bru…whatever."

"Brulant."

"Yeah, Brulant, I think we may be connected in more than just mind." He said as he held his leg, now feeling the bone as it moved under his skin.

"I would have to say that you are correct. But, how is this even possible? I thought this was going to be cool, but now I think we may be in some serious trouble."

"I think we need help." Frost admitted, and Brulant became silent. "I'm taking us to the Pole."

"No. Not the Pole. Tooth's palace or Bunny's Warren or-"

"Look, I'm in control right now and I am the Spirit of Winter. I like the cold and I know that North has an infirmary and magic. His potions started this, I know they can end it too." Frost argued, and Brulant agreed silently. They needed help.


	27. Thy Own Mentor

Hey, sorry guys for taking a week to finally post this chapter. I've been done with it for a while, but my computer went haywire and zonked out on me so I couldn't access it until now. Almost all better. Will be in and for about a week, so please bear with me. Not the grizzly kind, though. The cute black bears that eat the berries. Anyhow, I made this one extra long so you can enjoy it for a little longer. Once again, sorry!

* * *

"How did you do this to yerself?" Bunny asked, aghast at the deep wound in Jack's arm and the clean break in his leg. Jack lay on the bed and let Bunny and North fuss over him. He had flown there, but that had taken most of his energy and he did not have any more left to argue with Bunny, let alone answer any questions.

"Jack, we will let you rest when leg is set, but we need to know what happened when you are feeling up to speaking, yes?" Jack Frost stared at North and gave him the slightest of nods, to which North nodded back, knowing that he was being heard clearly.

"Now, hold North's hand for this part. It's gonna hurt." Bunny warned, and Jack let North's hand slip into his own as Bunny swiftly moved Jack's bones into place in his leg and tied a splint around it. Jack let out a small whine and let go of North's hand as soon as the pain had receded.

"Now," Bunny began as he wrapped gauze around Jack's leg to hold it firmly in place, "You can't walk on it no matter what. Flying, okay, but no walking, running, hopping, sprinting, anything. Understood?" Jack nodded slowly, exhaustion sweeping over him. Bunny noticed his slow change in demeanor and knew Jack wasn't going to be conscious for much longer.

"We'll be here when you wake up. Don't move, just ring this bell and one of us will be right there, understood?" Bunny said as he placed a small silver bell on the night stand next to Jack's bed. Jack nodded again and let his eyes flutter shut.

"You know, North, I feel like we might as well be the kid's legal guardians with as much as we look after him. Kid's always getting into some kinda trouble…"

"We'll see what he thi…" Jack listened as they walked out of the room and around the corner.

"I guess it will be my turn next." Brulant said as Frost drifted into sleep.

* * *

Jack Brulant took in a deep, slow breath of the hot desert air and opened his eyes to the shining sun. He stared at it for a minute before deciding to get up.

"Ah, remember, the leg." Frost warned in the back of his mind. Brulant sighed and sat up slowly, careful not to move his broken leg.

"I suppose we are stuck with each other as long as the other is unconscious, right?" Brulant said as he lifted himself up, careful not to use his broken leg for support.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Frost then became silent and Brulant was glad for the small moment of peace. The past few hours, or however long it has been, had been hectic and stressful, and Jack did not know how much more of it he could take. He handled being a spirit just fine, he understood what it meant to be a guardian of childhood, and he could handle a good thunderstorm and a fight with a tree spirit, but this was out of his control. As of late, everything was out of his control.

"You seem to have some pretty deep thoughts in there." Frost stated, and Brulant grunted a reply as he dragged himself through the dry land to a trail that would lead him to the cave he left his staff in a hundred or so feet up. "I mean, all of these feelings of hate and loneliness… reminds me of… me."

"Yeah, I could say the same thing. I think we are from pretty much the same background. Just opposite for some reason. How did you die?"

"Seems a little personal, don't you think?"

"Well, technically we are the same person. And if you don't want to tell me I could just peak into your memories there…"

"Fine. I'll tell you. Just… don't look into my memories. I'm sure you'll be able to tell that I'm telling the truth."

"Yeah, sure, go for it. This should be good."

"I was killed saving my little sister. We were playing by the pond in what's now Burgess and it started to thunderstorm, then lightening hit a tree and it was going to fall on my sister, but I pushed her out of the way in time. I was killed instead. I don't remember much else, though. The Man in the Moon didn't leave me with any memories after he gave me life and told me my name."

"And how did you learn about your powers?"

"How about we play it fair and you tell me how you died?"

"Fine. Ice skating on the pond in Burgess with my sister. The ice was thin and she was going to go under unless I could get her to safer ground, so I played a game with her and I got her to the other side, but I was still on the thin ice and I fell through and drowned. The same happened with Manny. It seems he's a pretty horrible person no matter what universe. Okay, so now tell me how you learned about your powers. Actually, you said you were a guardian. Or did you? I can't remember, but I know you are, so what are you a guardian of?"

"I'm the guardian of fun, the best part of childhood."

"No way! Me too!"

"Yeah. Kids love muddy puddles and staring at the clouds. It makes perfect sense that I would be the guardian of fun. What about you?"

"Same. Guardian of fun and all that. As far as I can see, we're the same besides the opposite powers thing. I think it's because of the season we were in when we died that decided what our powers were going to be."

"Or maybe luck that they needed a spot filled." Brulant grunted as he lifted himself up a small ledge, then turned around to see the ground about seventy feet below him. He hefted himself onto the flat surface then pushed himself from the ground and moved onto the next ledge.

"What do you mean?" Frost asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh, you didn't figure it out yet? They were filling a spot. With me, the spirit of summer wanted to retire. He was replaced when I oh so conveniently was killed by a falling tree that was struck by lightning. I mean, what are the chances of that?" Brulant scoffed, then dragged himself around a few boulders and into the cave.

"I do admit those are some pretty slim chances. But, I highly doubt that you were murdered for the purpose. I mean, that's just cruel. I've met Mother Nature. She's pretty cool. I couldn't imagine her-"

"You haven't seen this Mother Nature. My Mother Nature, in my world. And I'm not about to show you." Brulant let himself collapse to the ground next to his staff and leaned back against the cave wall, breathing in the stale air emanating from the back of the cave.

"You know what's strange? When something happens to one of us in one world, the same happens in the other. If that's so, then how come I'm not melting?" Frost pondered, but Brulant had a good idea formulating in the back of his mind already.

"I think it's because of the way our bodies react to the surrounding temperature. When I broke my leg, your leg broke as well. That's because a broken leg is something blunt and physical that I cannot regulate. The air around me that I am comfortable with and that my body is accustomed to will not affect you because my body is fine with it, so you are as well."

"So if I were to jump into a pile of snow, you wouldn't burn out. That sort of thing?"

"Yeah. Lucky for you."

"It is. I've never seen the desert during the day before. It's beautiful." Frost breathed, taking in the sensations and sights around him, from what he could see and feel through Brulant's own eyes and body.

"You know," Frost started after a few minutes of silence, "I think I could really like it in here. It's not lonely. I mean, I would never admit that to anyone, but since I'm talking to myself-"

"No no, I get it. I have generally the same thoughts as you. And I can read into your mind just as easily as you can to me. I can be, like, your secret spy or something. Not like I can leave your body or anything, but I'm sure we can benefit from this somehow, although it's very dangerous."

"We're stuck like this for a while anyways, so might as well get used to it." Frost sighed. "You think North can do it?"

"Yeah. He's a wizard or something. He has to be able to do it. To separate us again so we can live our own lives."

"Good. In the meantime, wanna tell me about those spirits that are messing with you?" Frost asked.

"I told you not to read into my thoughts!" Brulant yelled, feeling violated.

"You know, we have to get the whole communication through thoughts thing down so people don't think we're crazy. And I can't help but read your thoughts. They feel like they're mine, and I notice that sometimes my thoughts get jumbled up with yours and I can't tell the difference and I don't think you can either."

"Yeah. I've wondered about that… or maybe it was you who wondered about that. But, still, personal space."

"You want to talk to me about personal space? We're. The. Same. Person. Dead person. Whatever!"

"Fine, but I will not tell anyone else. Lucky for me you can't talk in my world anyhow. Just annoying thoughts in the back of my mind."

"Look who's talking." Frost grumbled, becoming aggravated with himself.

"Do you want me to tell you or not? I'm sure I can shut you off from my mind if I tried hard enough."

"I'm sure you could, but I would much rather know how a few nature spirits could beat you up like that."

"They were sent by Mother Nature." Brulant started, leaning his head back against the cave wall and shutting his eyes. "She doesn't like me. She never has. Manny created me, so I'm not under her jurisdiction. She thought she could control me when I was still new at my job, but she was dead wrong, and I pay for it every day. Or every other day. Sometimes I get a break from the abuse."

"Why don't you tell the Guardians?" Frost asked, sympathy replacing his aggravation. Brulant laughed, but there was no humor in it.

"Yeah right. You think that they care? They turned a blind eye to it for three hundred years. What makes you think that they would suddenly give me their time of day.

"I understand where you're coming from, but-"

'No, I don't think you do! You don't know anything about me!"

"Believe it or not, I'm in the exact same position. The summer spirits hate me and I have been dealing with that and being utterly ignored for over three hundred years, but I have to deal with it, at least for the kids. I'm a Guardian of Childhood, and I don't know what that means to you, but it means a hell of a lot to me."

Brulant became silent and thought about what Frost had said, still trying his best to deny everything, but knowing that he was right. He needed to fight back or something. He needed to find a new winter spirit, and he was going to find one. Himself.

"Oh no. That's a bad idea. First of all, you can't control winter weather. It would kill you."

"No, but you can."

"You don't seem to understand. Your body cannot control winter. You will die."

"But you are missing the point. If I can find a way to bring you over, for you to be in my world, in this world, with me, then just think of the power we can achieve! Together we will have control over the seasons! No one will ever bully me again! I won't be the laughing stock of the seasonal spirits. I need this, Frost. Don't you see?"

"I wish I could, but I think you just need to rest for a bit. Your mind is confused. You need to calm down and think straight. Think about what you are saying. You don't want that power. I know you don't. I can feel your emotions and I know that this is not what you want. You want to get back at Mother Nature, but not by ruling. And anyhow, it's impossible." Frost sighed and relaxed his mind. "How about you sleep for a bit? I'll take over." Frost suggested just as Brulant let his mind drift into a light sleep.


End file.
